Australia frets over Meta halt to U.S. fact-checking
The Hindu
Australia expresses concern over Meta's decision to end US fact-checking, emphasizing the dangers of misinformation on social media.
Australia is deeply concerned by Meta's decision to scrap U.S. fact-check operations on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, a senior minister said Thursday (January 9, 2025).
The government -- which has been at the forefront of efforts to rein in social media giants -- was worried about a surge of false information spreading online, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.
"Misinformation and disinformation is very dangerous, and we've seen it really kind of explode in the last few years," Chalmers told national broadcaster ABC.
"And it's a very damaging development, damaging for our democracy. It can be damaging for people's mental health to get the wrong information on social media, and so of course we are concerned about that."
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday (January 7, 2025) the group would "get rid of fact-checkers" and replace them with community-based posts, starting in the United States.
Chalmers said the decision was "very concerning".
The government had invested in trusted Australian news providers such as the ABC and national newswire AAP to ensure people had reliable sources for information, he said.
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