Meta has announced significant changes to its content moderation policies, signaling a shift toward greater leniency in what users can post on its platforms. Among the updates, the company has eliminated its network of professional fact-checkers in the U.S. and introduced changes to its hateful conduct policy, which are already in effect.
One of the most controversial updates allows posts referring to women as “household objects or property” and transgender individuals as “it,” previously banned under the platform’s guidelines. The revised policy also permits allegations of “mental illness or abnormality” based on gender or sexual orientation, framing these changes as aligned with political and religious discourse.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the updates as part of his broader push for “free expression,” acknowledging the move could reduce the detection of harmful content but would prevent the accidental censorship of legitimate posts. The company emphasized it will continue to prohibit attacks based on ethnicity, race, and religion, while focusing automated systems on detecting severe violations like terrorism and child exploitation.
Another key change includes scrapping professional fact-checking in favor of user-driven “community notes” to provide context to posts. Meta says this will address complaints of over-censorship, but critics warn the decision could lead to an increase in misinformation and hate speech on its platforms.
These policy revisions coincide with Meta’s efforts to align with conservative voices, including former President Donald Trump, who welcomed the changes. Trump attributed the shift to past pressure on Meta and Zuckerberg, while experts expressed concern that the relaxed policies could foster an environment for viral false claims and divisive content.
The updated hateful conduct policy also removes bans on denying the existence of protected groups and allows discussions advocating gender-based job restrictions in fields like law enforcement, teaching, and the military.
As Meta continues to implement these sweeping changes, the broader impact on digital discourse, misinformation, and online safety remains under intense scrutiny.
Source: Swifteradio.com
