The ‘progressives’ are still licking their wounds after Meta announced it would no longer be censoring posts on Facebook and Instagram, using community notes à la Musk rather than deploying “fact checkers”. The rollout begins in the US, with the UK and EU likely to follow. Zuckerberg finally conceded that his censors had been “used to shut down opinions”. Cue swathes of sanctimonious outrage from free speech deniers…
It’s not just progressive outlets lamenting Meta’s decision. Full Fact—a UK-based “fact-checking” charity—is also reeling from the shake-up. The charity stands to lose a significant chunk of change when Meta inevitably no longer requires its services. In 2023, Meta donated £373,510 to Full Fact for its ‘Third Party Fact-Checking Programme,’ a 29% increase from 2022 and a whopping 4.19 times the average funding amount of £89,096. Little wonder Full Fact’s CEO, Chris Morris, described Meta’s decision to sever ties with fact-checkers in the US as “disappointing and a backwards step that risks a chilling effect around the world.” A “chilling effect” translating into dwindling coffers…
Incidentally, Morris is no stranger to partisan commentary. The Brexit-basher identifies Boris Johnson and Donald Trump as “populists driven by a powerful political instinct: that the story is more important than the detail.” He also dismissed Truss as “a manifestation of a dogma of delusion.” Such remarks would undoubtedly attract a community note or two…
After being blocked from standing at the Gorton and Denton by-election, Andy Burnham said at the Centre for Social Justice:
“I’m very much focussing on my job. I’ve said everything I think I’m going to say about that.”