Meta to Launch Fact-Checking on Threads Amid Rampant Misinformation

Meta is now hiring fact-checkers in preparation for extending its fact-check program to Threads next year amid growing misinformation on the platform.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced in a post that the social media aims to bring its own fact-check partners "to review and rate misinformation on the app."

Post by @mosseri

View on Threads

Threads is currently matching the fact-check rating on Facebook and Instagram.

As of writing, the Twitter-like app still does not have its own community guidelines as Threads is supposed to be "part of Instagram, so the Instagram Terms of Use and the Instagram Community Guidelines" apply.

The move came as the 2024 Presidential Elections inches closer.

Disinformation, Misinformation Campaign on Meta Platforms

Meta has long been criticized for allowing rampant misinformation to spread on its platforms. Most notable are dubious claims about COVID-19 and both US Presidential Elections in 2016 and 2020.

The issue of misinformation becomes more contentious following Meta's decision to allow political ads, including conspiracy theories and 2020 election denialism, back on its platforms again.

Misinformation and hate speech continue to spread on Facebook and Instagram even after Meta set up a Special Operations Center to remove such content.

Similar contents have recently surged following the Ukraine-Russia War and the conflict in Gaza.

Threads only have a system to restrict certain words in a post to reduce hate speech on the site.

Meta Debuts Obscure Instagram Feature on Threads to Push Down Fact-Checked Posts

While Meta is still looking for fact-checking partners, the social media giant recently announced that it applied a feature from Instagram to Threads to help limit fact-checked content on feed

The feature will allow users to control how many fact-checked posts they want to see on their feed.

The controls have three modes: "Don't Reduce," "Reduce" and "Reduce More." The filter can be accessed via Content Preferences on the Account settings.