Meta 'spooks advertisers' over online brand safety fears

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to ditch third-party fact-checking and loosen content moderation is likely to put online brand safety at risk and spook advertisers, according to some experts, who have branded the move a “chilling”, backward step”.

The boss of parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads has said the group will now switch to an X-style Community Notes system, where users flag content as false or misleading.

Meta claims the strategy, widely seen as the tech giant “sucking up” to incoming US President Donald Trump, is about “restoring free expression” on its platforms and “reducing mistakes” it said automated content moderation systems were making.

And, although it is only currently being introduced in the US, one UK fact-checking organisation, Full Fact, said the decision was likely to help misinformation more easily spread online as a result.

Chief executive Chris Morris said: “Meta’s decision to end its partnership with fact checkers in the US is a backwards step that risks a chilling effect around the world.

“From safeguarding elections to protecting public health to dissipating potential unrest on the streets, fact checkers are first responders in the information environment.

“Misinformation doesn’t respect borders, so European fact checkers will be closely examining this development to understand what it means for our shared information environment.”

Meanwhile, Emarketer principal analyst Jasmine Enberg commented: “The move will elate conservatives, who’ve often criticized Meta for censoring speech, but it will spook many liberals and advertisers, showing just how far Zuckerberg is willing to go to win Trump’s approval.

“In a shift driven largely by Trump ally and X-owner Elon Musk, third-party fact-checking has gone out of fashion among social executives. Social platforms have become more political and polarised, as misinformation has become a buzzword that encompasses everything from outright lies to viewpoints people disagree with.

“But brand safety remains a key factor in determining where advertisers spend their budgets. Social media is already a minefield for content that many brands deem unsafe, and Meta’s change could exacerbate those problems.”

“Meta’s massive size and powerhouse ad platform insulate it somewhat from an X-like user and advertiser exodus. But any major drop-off in engagement could hurt Meta’s ad business, given the intense competition for users and ad spend.”

And, social media expert Matt Navarra said there were obvious downsides around “misleading or harmful content spreading more easily”.

Navarra told the PA news agency: “Zuckerberg says it’s a shift that will dramatically reduce censorship and lead to more political content being recommended in feeds – it feels to me like Meta is taking a hands-off approach and it’s going to rely on its users to help police content.”

“For users, this means that their feeds are going to get more raw and unfiltered – it’s lifting restrictions on sensitive topics that have been heavily moderated in the past – and Zuckerberg is framing this as a win for open dialogue because it means more people will share their beliefs and experiences.

“But the downside is obvious – misleading or harmful content would spread more easily without professional oversight, which could lead to a wild west of competing opinions and contested truths.”

Navarra reckons Meta’s approach could also be part of tech giants’ wider efforts to push back against international regulation, with the UK’s Online Safety Law now in force and the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act, specifically designed to curb their power.

He added: “I think this is a gamble, but I think he sees it as a necessary thing to align with the current political climate – because he says ‘we’ll be able to dramatically reduce censorship, but we’ll also catch less bad stuff’ – so he’s fully aware of the potential fallout.”

Mantis managing director Fiona Salmon commented: “This move falls right into the hands of the ‘fact’ that brands should avoid using the Meta platforms and instead opt to invest in quality open web publishing. High-quality journalism – content that has been developed with editorial integrity and fact-checking in place – should continue to be promoted and prioritised. On the whole, brands prefer not to run campaigns in comment-led User Generated Content, so I expect to see a flourish in those leaving.

“It also leans into the narrative around children and younger generations growing up with rife misinformation online, which is not something that generations before them have needed to consider. And now with AI too, I believe the lines between reality and deepfake content become even more blurred and harder to distinguish. This is already difficult to navigate and will only become harder. Potentially harmful or incorrect content must be filtered out before it spreads online.”

Finally, SBS managing director of UK and EMEA Jason Warner has branded the decision “deeply concerning”.

He added: “As someone who has experienced life on both sides of the Atlantic, I recognise the far-reaching implications of such a move. We’ve already seen how disinformation can shape political landscapes, with devastating consequences for societies at large.

“This is not just about misinformation; it’s about the erosion of trust in public discourse. Platforms of this scale wield immense influence, and with that influence comes a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the information they disseminate. Accuracy in media is not a luxury – it’s a necessity for informed decision-making and the health of democratic systems.

“Unchecked misinformation is not a matter of opinion – it’s a societal risk. Striking the right balance between free expression and factual accountability is a monumental challenge, but it’s one we cannot afford to ignore.

“The next few years will undoubtedly shape how fact-checking is managed on social and mainstream media. Will we prioritise truth and accountability, or will we allow the interests of the powerful few to dictate the narratives that shape our world? This is a pivotal moment, and it requires thoughtful leadership, robust governance, and, above all, a commitment to truth.”