US push for restrictions emboldens censorship globally: Meta's Zuckerberg

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has accused the US of "emboldening" censorship globally.

Zuckerberg announced a comprehensive overhaul of Facebook and Instagram's content moderation policies.

"The US has the strongest constitutional protections for free expression in the world" Zuckerberg said in a video on Facebook emphasising the need for American leadership to protect free speech globally.

He said recent US pressure on technology companies has "emboldened other governments to go even further" with censorship efforts.

"It has been so difficult over the past four years when even the US government has pushed for censorship" he added.

Zuckerberg announced plans to collaborate with US President-elect Donald Trump who will return to office January 20 to counter what he described as growing global censorship pressures.

He specifically highlighted concerns about European content laws, Latin American secret courts ordering content removal and Chinese restrictions on international platforms.

The CEO further explained the steps his company will be taking to increase free speech and reduce censorship on its platforms.

Policy shift

Firstly in a major policy shift, Meta will eliminate its fact-checking system replacing it with a community notes feature similar to X starting in the US.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that while the system was implemented in "good faith" following the 2016 election fact-checkers have "been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they have created."

The company also plans to eliminate numerous content restrictions, particularly around sensitive topics.

"What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions," Zuckerberg said promising more room for diverse viewpoints.

Meta will also change its content moderation approach moving from automatic filtering systems that scan for policy violations.

Reversing a previous decision to limit political content visibility, Meta will gradually reintroduce civic and political posts across its platforms.

Zuckerberg noted that user feedback indicates a growing demand for such content, though the company aims to maintain "friendly and positive" community environments.