Meta Ending Third-Party Fact-Checking: A Dilemma for Verification in Liberia
Before Liberia’s 2023 election, we contacted Meta to see if the Meta third party was still ongoing, but there was no response. We then contacted Africa Check, the continent's biggest fact-checking platform; again they endeavored to contact Meta, but there was no reply to their inquiries.
In 2023, we noticed many of our fact-checks were flagged against community policy. We then contacted Meta for revision of the content; some of them were accepted while others were not.
The recent decision by Meta to end third-party fact-checking is no news that this is aimed at censoring fact-checking institutions whose only interest is to tackle false information. In Liberia, a huge amount of its population relies solely on Facebook for information, excluding radio. The worst of it all is that radio ownership has been populated by politicians who are engaged in the spreading of false information through respective mediums.
These outlets have social media pages, specifically Facebook pages, where this false information is disseminated.
Liberia has a history of civil crisis, Ebola, and the COVID-19 outbreak that brought forth TSM-Liberia.
The number of deaths attached to this crisis was not because of guns or illnesses but we considered that a huge number were because of misinformation and disinformation or better still, the lack of verified information.
The announcement by Meta is a dilemma for fact-checking institutions and Liberia, which has deep beliefs in what is seen on Facebook. Additionally, the multiplicity of online institutions streaming from the US has deepened our woes as fact-checking institutions.
We believe that the decision is a political move and will hinder the works of fact-checking institutions in and out of Liberia but we will not be deterred in holding public officials accountable when they spread misinformation and disinformation.
When Meta labeled fact-checking as censorship, we wondered how they arrived at such a conclusion, as our single aim is to provide citizens with credible information in making informed decisions.
Since 2020, Stage Media has consistently been successful in dispelling misleading information; therefore, Meta's assertion that fact-checking is synonymous with censorship is harmful and untrue.
People are not "censored" by fact-checkers. Fact-checkers only look into and report on evidence that suggests a claim may be untrue.
People are not "censored" by fact-checkers. Fact-checkers only look into and report on evidence that suggests a claim may be untrue.
Moreover, verified fact-checkers must also observe the International Fact-Checking Network's (IFCN) Code of Principles, which includes transparency and nonpartisanship.
Meta always has the choice to decide what content from Fact-checkers are used for.
Meta must review its announcement to enable countries like Liberia to believe in the work that fact-checkers do.
If Meta fails, this means that there will be a flood of disinformation, hate speech, and radicalization not only in Liberia but also across the world.
