Meta is ending fact-checking in the U.S. Could that affect the vote in Canada?

Social media giant Meta’s decision to move away from fact-checking and ease content restrictions on its platforms like Facebook and Instagram has raised concerns among experts about the potential impact on Canada’s next federal election and the Liberal leadership race.

While Meta has announced that it will be replacing third-party fact-checking with “community notes” in the United States in the coming months, it also plans to ease restrictions on incendiary topics globally. This move has experts worried that it could make it easier for online misinformation and foreign interference to spread across borders into Canada.

Philip Mai, co-director of the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, expressed concerns about the implications of Meta’s decision. He believes that without trained moderators to enforce rules and combat harmful content, Facebook and Instagram could become breeding grounds for false narratives, conspiracy theories, and divisive rhetoric.

Aengus Bridgman, director of the Media Ecosystem Observatory, echoed these concerns, noting that Meta’s decision is part of a larger trend among social media platforms to reduce or eliminate content moderation in the name of free speech. He worries that platforms are becoming less likely to take responsibility for the content spread on their sites.

Minister of Democratic Institutions Ruby Sahota, however, pointed to a voluntary agreement reached between social media platforms and the Canadian government in the lead-up to the 2019 election to protect against interference. She expects platforms to abide by the terms of that agreement and emphasized the importance of monitoring the situation.

NDP MP Charlie Angus, who has seen an increase in toxic and violent posts on Facebook, expressed concerns about the potential impact of Meta’s changes on Canadian campaigns. He believes that the measures announced by Meta will play a role in the upcoming Liberal leadership race and federal election.

While Meta’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking program and replace it with community notes mirrors a move by its rival Twitter, the company also plans to stop downplaying political posts and lift restrictions on topics like immigration and gender identity. These changes could have far-reaching implications for the information environment during elections.

Overall, experts are wary of the potential consequences of Meta’s decision and will be closely monitoring the situation as Canada prepares for its next federal election. It remains to be seen how these changes will impact the spread of misinformation and foreign interference in the political landscape.