Meta is making major changes to its policy. It is not yet known when Meta will roll out these changes in Europe, but it is already clear that the changes will also have consequences for the rest of the world. What does this mean for your online strategy?
What will change?
- Community notes instead of fact checkers
Users can add context to posts that may contain fake news. This is similar to the system on X. - More space for political and social topics
Restrictions on issues such as gender, immigration and elections will be lifted. - Relaxation of enforcement policy
Only serious violations such as illegal content are actively tackled. Minor violations will remain unless users report them.
What consequences do the changes have?
Zuckerberg said this video in which he announced the changes:
We are going back to our roots and focusing on reducing errors, simplifying our policies and creating more space for freedom of expression on our platforms.
Now this sounds very nice, but what do these adjustments actually mean? What will Facebook, Instagram and Threads look like once these changes have been implemented?
This is what you can expect in your feed:
1) You will no longer see fact-check messages
Four years ago, Meta introduced a fact-checking program to better moderate content. According to Meta, this also resulted in the removal of a lot of innocent content and users were wrongly locked up in ‘Facebook jail’. This is now being reversed.
Instead of the fact-checking program, Meta now implements ‘community notes’. Just like on X, community members can add context to the shared content. Joel Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs officer, said users will see a “much less intrusive label” and have the option to view additional content.
2) You will see more political content and news
In 2021, Facebook announced changes to reduce the amount of political content on its feeds, including content about elections and social issues. They did this in response to “feedback from people who didn’t want to see political content on their feeds,” according to Meta. They will now return to this.
Political content will take a more ‘personalized approach’, because the algorithm will show content based on users’ interactions with politically affiliated content, such as liking or viewing specific posts. “We will also recommend more political content based on these personalized signals and expand the options people have to control how much of this content they see,” Meta said in the statement announcing the changes.
In 2022, Meta wrote in a blog that political content made up only 3% of posts on Facebook. So the change doesn’t necessarily mean that your feed will be flooded with political news, but it could become more than before.
3) You’ll likely see a wider range of opinions
Meta’s adjustments mean that controversial topics such as immigration are given more space. This is what Meta writes in their statement:
It is not right that things can be said on TV or in Congress, but not on our platforms.
What will you notice about this? You’ll probably see a wider range of opinions. This will most likely lead to more polarizing content.
An update to Meta’s ‘Hateful Conduct’ policy shares more details:
We allow accusations of mental illness or abnormalities based on gender or sexual orientation, given the political and religious debate over transgender people and homosexuality and the common non-serious use of words like “weird.”
4) ‘Minor violations’ will not be assessed unless a report is made
Meta relaxes guidelines for enforcing policy violations. The bar is also being raised for removing content. In the future, Meta’s platforms will focus on tackling “illegal and very serious violations”, including terrorism, child sexual exploitation or drugs.
For less serious violations of the policy, the company will rely on users reporting the content before considering taking action. Meta will also require multiple reviewers before actually removing the content.
bron: Algi Febri Sugita / Shutterstock.com
What does this mean in practice?
Mark Zuckerberg indicates that he is making the changes to promote ‘free speech’. But what he also promotes: trolling and spreading hate speech and more misinformation. For many people, social media has no longer been a safe place for some time. Keyboard knights now have even more opportunity to express their opinions. This has been going on on X for some time and it looks like it is also heading in this direction on Facebook and Instagram. The more extreme your statements are, the more attention you will receive, thanks to the algorithm. This will further encourage polarization. And it becomes even less safe for people from marginalized groups.
Journalist and fact checker Marieke Kuypers says the following about this: “The moderation is poor on basically all social media platforms. That was true even before Zuckerberg made this announcement. The link between forms of disinformation and hate speech will also become stronger. It doesn’t bode well for the social media landscape.”
What does this mean for social organizations?
For now, Meta is only making the changes in America. Yet here in Europe we already see that more and more social organizations are considering leaving Facebook and Instagram. The main reasons:
- More misinformation
Without strict fact-checking, false stories spread faster. - Loss of trust
Content alongside misinformation damages your credibility. - Less impact
Misinformation dilutes your message and undermines your mission.
Wendy Hoenkamp, ethical online marketing advisor says the following:
Choose consciously and take your social responsibility. Experiment with platforms that support your values, like Mastodon. Your story deserves a platform that strengthens your values, not undermines them. Yes, you will have to work again on your reach and high engagement. But if you get in now, you’ll have a head start.
Should I stay or should I go?
Yet there are also opposing voices. So writes Karen Walrond, author of ‘The Lightmaker’s Manifesto’ her social media:
“The only thing I’m certain of is that this year, I want to make like a porch light: I want my life and work to signal community, and safety, and welcome, like the quiet glow of the light on a porch of a house.
And then, yesterday, Meta announced that not only are they eliminating their fact-checking program, they’re also removing their hate-speech policies, giving the green light for users to target all marginalized groups.
Well.
I meant what I said about wanting my work to signal community and safety and welcome, and so I will remain here, committed to providing some refuge on these platforms for those who need love and encouragement and light. For now.”
Walrond therefore indicates that she will stay, at least for the time being, because she wants to offer light in these dark times for everyone who needs it. She adds:
“But make no mistake: do not presume that my staying means I will tolerate ANY targeting of ANYONE on my account, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, ability, or any other member of a marginalized group. Anyone who does so target anyone else will most certainly be blocked, with a quickness and with glee.”
What are the consequences of leaving?
Leaving does not only have consequences for your own reach. It also means that you no longer see small makers, small businesses and non-profit organizations. When you buy something from a small business owner you make a difference. The same applies to small non-profit organizations that do not receive subsidies. They depend on donations, which they largely generate through their presence on social media. They have invested in their accounts for years. You no longer see these organizations either. This will cause these entrepreneurs and non-profits to miss out on a lot of income.
Are there alternatives to Facebook and Instagram?
Fortunately, Zuckerberg does not have the monopoly on social media. There are various platforms where you can go. Below I mention a few:
What has now become clear: it pays to invest in platforms that are really yours, such as your newsletter and your website. These are places where you have control and are not dependent on algorithms or policy changes from large tech companies.
What does this mean for your social media strategy? Consider which platforms best suit your values and target group. Start experimenting today and ask yourself: Should I stay, or should I go?
Source: www.frankwatching.com
