Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have expressed their deep concern over Meta’s new fact-checking policy, stating that it undermines free speech and normalizes hate speech. The former royal couple issued a statement on their website, criticizing Meta’s decision to remove its fact-checking program due to alleged political bias.
Last week, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, announced the company’s plans to replace the fact-checking program with a community notes feature, similar to the one on X (formerly Twitter), which relies on users to add notes or corrections to posts. Additionally, Meta will remove restrictions on certain topics like immigration and gender, allowing users to use derogatory language towards women and transgender individuals.
Markle and Prince Harry condemned these changes, stating that they will lead to more abuse and hatred on the platform. They accused Meta of prioritizing profit over public safety and integrity, calling the decision to rollback protections deceptive and harmful.
In response to criticism, Zuckerberg defended the policy changes, claiming that the movement to be more inclusive had gone too far and that fact-checkers were politically biased. He referenced the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and Meta’s subsequent ban of Donald Trump from Facebook and Instagram as examples of the company’s attempts to address concerns about misinformation.
The former royal couple urged Meta to reconsider its policies and reinstate protections for all users. They called on industry leaders to uphold their commitments to integrity and public safety in online spaces, applauding those who refuse to tolerate hate speech and bullying.
Markle and Prince Harry warned that Meta’s decision to give up diversity, equity, and inclusion programs will put people at risk and contribute to a global mental health crisis. They emphasized the importance of protecting freedom of expression and human rights in online spaces, regardless of political pressures or corporate interests.
Overall, the couple criticized Meta for disregarding its responsibility to ensure public safety and well-being in online spaces, allowing ego and profit to guide decisions that affect billions of users. They called for a reevaluation of the company’s values and commitments to ensure that power is not abused on their platforms.
