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The Briefing

Is your feed about to get f*cked? A former Facebook CEO weighs in

Jan 8, 2025
Stephen Scheeler, former CEO of Facebook in Australia and New Zealand, dives into the controversial decision by Meta to eliminate fact-checkers. He discusses the implications for misinformation, especially in light of political tensions and Donald Trump’s threats towards Zuckerberg. The conversation reveals how these changes could shape social media feeds leading into 2025. Scheeler also reflects on the balance between free speech and content moderation amidst growing challenges facing tech leaders. Are we ready for a bigger impact from social media algorithms?
18:42

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Meta's decision to eliminate fact checkers in favor of community moderation reflects an alignment with political pressures, notably from Donald Trump.
  • Increasing political content on Meta platforms raises concerns about misinformation spread, potentially eroding public trust in social media.

Deep dives

Shift Away from Fact-Checking

Meta is eliminating fact checkers from Instagram and Facebook, opting instead for community notes that rely on user moderation. This change comes amidst political shifts and pressure from figures like Donald Trump, who has previously criticized Zuckerberg's platform for bias. The implications of this decision raise concerns about the proliferation of misinformation, especially as past moderation efforts have shown to be more effective in curbing the spread of false information. Critics argue that the absence of expert oversight could lead to a flood of misleading content, particularly alarming as Australia approaches a federal election.

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