Facebook Admits Fact Checks On Platform More Of “Protected Opinion”
FACEBOOK FACT CHECKS – Facebook itself admits that “fact checks” on the platform might not possibly be factual.
If you’ve been on the platform, chances are you’ve seen articles that are “fact-checked”. As such, many say that Facebook has long conducted “content censoring” using these third-party fact-checkers.
Often times you’d see these fact checks on controversial topics, political posts, all the way to health issues. Obviously, the purpose of these fact-checks is to protect the public from misleading information. However, one court case proves otherwise.
On Facebook, thousands upon thousands of controversial content are posted every day. And, because of this, fact-checkers judge this content whether it is factual or not.
However, many have accused fact-checkers of having biases. But now, Facebook itself admitted that “fact-checked” articles don’t mean the article is actually factual.
Based on an article from Vision Times, Meta (Facebook’s rebranded name), revealed this during a court battle with John Stossel, a television reporter. Stossel sued Meta for defamation after the platform “facked check” his videos regarding climate change.
According to the court filings: “The labels themselves are neither false nor defamatory; to the contrary, they constitute protected opinion”.
As per the article, calling the “fact-checked” label a “protected opinion” makes it something that’s not guaranteed. Now, with Facebook’s own admission, questions are raised regarding the need for fact-checkers.
“It’s wrong for Facebook to give these activists the power to throttle videos they don’t like”, said Strossel. Furthermore, he believes that the lawsuit forces the individuals who use the platform to defame others to step out of the “fact-checker” masquerade.
What do you think about this? Leave your comments below.
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