Philippine journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa warned on Wednesday of an "extremely dangerous time" for journalism following Meta's (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) decision to halt its fact-checking operations in the United States.
"Mark Zuckerberg says it’s about free speech. That’s completely false," Ressa said in an interview with AFP, fearing "an extremely dangerous future" for journalism.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, Maria Ressa is a leading figure in the fight against disinformation.
She co-founded the digital investigative journalism platform Rappler in 2012, a media outlet that shed light on the violence linked to the anti-drug campaign launched by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
"Only if you're driven by profit can you claim that. Only if you seek power and money can you claim that. This is about safety," she added.
Meta announced on Tuesday that it was ending its fact-checking program in the United States, replacing it with a context note system similar to the one used by X.
Instead of relying on independent organizations to combat disinformation, Elon Musk, the owner of X, implemented these context notes, written by users when they believe information needs recontextualization.
According to Mark Zuckerberg, "fact-checkers have been too politically biased and have done more to erode trust than to build it, especially in the United States."
For years, Donald Trump has harshly criticized Meta, accusing the tech giant of bias against him and threatening retaliatory measures against its CEO once he takes office in late January.
In his first post-election press conference, Trump, who promised to "straighten out" the "corrupt" American press, appears to have taken a cue from Duterte, according to Ressa.
"Journalists adhere to a set of standards and ethics," she reminded.
"What Facebook is going to do is eliminate that and allow lies, anger, fear, and hatred to infect every individual on the platform," Ressa warned, adding that these measures could ultimately lead to a "world without facts."
Ressa’s Rappler site, as well as AFP and over 90 other fact-checking organizations, are paid by Meta to verify articles potentially containing false information.
AFP specifically participates in a fact-checking program in over 26 languages, developed by Facebook, which compensates more than 80 media outlets worldwide for using their fact-checks on its platform, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
Content deemed "false" is then relegated in news feeds so that fewer people see it. If someone tries to share such a message, recipients receive an article explaining why it is misleading.
According to a 2023 study by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), a global network of 137 fact-checking organizations including AFP, Meta’s program represented a "significant source of revenue" for players in the sector.
Rappler, however, stated in a press release its intention to continue working with Facebook "to protect Filipinos from manipulation and the dangers of disinformation."
"This is a pivotal year for the survival of journalism," Ressa warned, adding that "what has happened in the United States is just the beginning."
