When The Truth No Longer Matters: How Social Media’s Engagement Obsession Is Killing Democracy
(Left to right) Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler; Eryk Salvaggio, author of Cybernetic Forrests; and Maria Amelie, CEO of Factiverse.
Forbes
Meta’s recent decision to end its third-party fact-checking program has reignited fears about misinformation’s growing influence. The move reflects a broader trend among social media giants: stepping away from content moderation in favor of engagement-driven algorithms. As these companies strip away safeguards, journalism faces an existential crisis—one where facts struggle to compete with viral falsehoods. This has sweeping implications worldwide as increasing polarization and authoritarian rule result.
Social media platforms have become the world’s most powerful distributors of news, shaping public opinion at an unprecedented scale. But rather than prioritizing accuracy, these platforms are engineered to maximize engagement. Sensationalism, controversy, and misinformation outperform factual reporting, eroding trust in journalism and deepening societal divisions.
A System Designed For Clicks, Not Truth
Meta’s fact-checking initiative was once seen as a modest attempt to combat misinformation. Under the program, independent fact-checkers flagged misleading content, reducing its reach and adding context to prevent the spread of falsehoods. But earlier this year, Meta scrapped the initiative, citing concerns over “political bias” in fact-checking organizations and “too much censorship.” CEO Mark Zuckerberg framed the decision as a step toward “more speech, fewer mistakes,” arguing that the public should determine truth through a system called “community notes.”
In fact, PolitiFact and FactCheck.org, both of which previously collaborated with Meta, have dismissed claims of liberal bias. They emphasize that they never had the power to remove content or censor posts, reiterating that Meta has always retained ultimate control over content moderation decisions.
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