Anyone who would like to participate can do so via Meta’s platform register and thus actively participate in the digital discussion culture. You can currently register on the waiting list and will be informed if you are accepted as a content contributor. But how exactly does the program work – and does it really remain neutral?
Meta:
Abolish fact-checking, shift power and adapt to political trends
– what is changing now
Was sind Community Notes?
Community Notes is a participatory system that allows users to contribute additional notes to specific content. These notes are not published randomly, but must be rated and found helpful by other community members. Only when different perspectives find a note useful does it become visible.
But at a time when Meta is increasingly intervening in political debates and openly aligning itself with the Trump administration, the question arises as to whether the program actually remains unbiased. Which voices are amplified – and which are suppressed?
The coming months will show whether Community Notes really leads to more transparency or simply promotes confusion about content and its truthfulness or problems. Critics fear the latter.
Moderation or manipulation?
Community Notes are intended to enable diversity of opinion, but experience shows that large platforms like those of Meta and X often make politically motivated decisions. Instagram boss Adam Mosseri assured that the new system should give everyone a voice, but his statements remain vague.
These are the most important developments on Instagram in 2025
The drastic reduction in moderation entails significant risks and should by no means be underestimated: hate speech, disinformation and discrimination could increase uncontrollably. But this development is not an isolated step, but rather part of a comprehensive strategy change at Meta. In addition to eliminating the fact-checking program, moderation guidelines have also been relaxed, making it easier for controversial and extreme content to spread. At the same time, Meta is increasingly relying on a Trump-friendly lobby team that is oriented towards conservative interests in Washington.
What is particularly explosive is that this could give right-wing networks even more leeway to specifically position narratives – especially in a politically heated year. While Meta officially speaks of more freedom of expression, critics warn that the platform is increasingly losing control over disinformation. CEO Mark Zuckerberg even went so far as to join Trump in “taking action against governments” that promote censorship. In doing so, he equates European legislation with institutionalized censorship and questions previous moderation guidelines.
Against this background, the introduction of community notes must also be viewed critically. Their visibility is ultimately controlled by algorithms – a mechanism that could disadvantage critical and progressive voices. At the same time, Instagram remains one of the central platforms for creators, companies and advertisers with 45 million monthly active users in Germany. In this context, Meta’s change of direction appears all the more serious – perhaps even more consequential than the transformation from Twitter to X.
Participate – but remain critical
Anyone who participates in Community Notes should be aware that the program is not a neutral tool, but remains deeply embedded in the existing power structures of the big players in the social media industry. A critical look at content and mechanisms is therefore essential. Instead of blindly trusting the platforms, we should question who these developments actually benefit – the democratic formation of opinions or the strategic management of digital debates?
That’s why it’s not enough to simply participate. Critical users should pay close attention to how Community Notes works in practice and which voices are really heard. Ultimately, transparency is only worth as much as the platform operators allow it. According to an official update on the Meta Newsroom page, after a successful test run, the feature is now being gradually expanded to other regions and users – a development that should be followed with particular attention.
Source: onlinemarketing.de
