I’m a cybersecurity expert. Here’s why you should be worried about Meta stopping fact-checking
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Social media giant Meta has announced it is ending its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with a community-driven system called “Community Notes,” similar to system on Elon Musk’s platform, X.
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Critics argue that this move could lead to the unchecked spread of misinformation.
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A cybersecurity expert at NordVPN has analysed the dark web to see just how much of a threat this could pose to social media users.
Meta’s decision means that the social media company will immediately begin phasing out the third-party fact-checking program in the US.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg cited the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election as a “cultural tipping point” towards prioritizing free speech. He also expressed concerns about the perceived bias of fact-checkers.
The new ‘Community Notes’ system relies on users to flag and provide context for potentially misleading information. Since the social media platform X/Twitter introduced a similar method of regulation, there has been a surge in false information circulating on the internet.
Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, has analysed aggregated data from thousands of forums on the dark web to see the danger that misinformation can pose to social media users in the coming months.
“Meta’s decision to move away from fact-checking is a monumental move towards allowing the spread of misinformation.
“The dark web offers valuable insight into why misinformation is so valuable to cybercriminals.
“We are already greeting the imminent rise of a new dark strategy being deployed by malicious users and organisations – disinformation as a service.
“According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024, AI-generated misinformation is ranked as the second-most severe global risk (53%) over the next two years. The threat of misinformation is second only to global warming.
“The dark web is filled with tactics designed to spread disinformation, including the use of thousands of fake social media accounts and numerous spam emails that disseminate propaganda.
“We are even seeing misinformation bot farms that are being developed to distribute false information on a large scale. Taking a step back from regulating social media makes these fake news engines unstoppable.
“Reflecting on current trends on the dark web, we anticipate that disinformation-as-a-service will emerge as a significant threat in the coming months, as Meta begins to phase out their fact-checking program.
“The disinformation technology and its creators profit from creating and spreading false information. This highly customisable and adaptive service enables precise targeting of demographic profiles and manipulation of social media algorithms to maximise impact.
“Cybersecurity analysts are not trying to scaremonger when they warn of the dangers of abandoning fact-checking. Aside from wanting to mitigate the spread of harmful content, regulation is important in hampering the ability of hackers to gain insights into other users and stops malicious users from influencing social discourse and politics.
“Freedom of expression is rightly important, but consumers should be aware that without the necessary precautions, it also gives criminals the freedom to operate.”
