How Meta's fact-checking program will work on Threads
Meta is gearing up to launch its fact-checking program on the Threads platform, ahead of the major elections in the US and India next year. Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, shared that the company will allow fact-checking partners to review and rate misinformation on the app. Currently, when content is flagged as false on Facebook or Instagram, that fact-check rating is extended to similar content on Threads. However, the company will soon let fact-checkers assess posts directly on Threads.
Users will have control over fact-checked content
Meta will allow US-based users to increase, decrease, or maintain the same level of demotion on fact-checked posts. If you've set up Instagram to avoid sensitive content, those settings will also apply to Threads. This move aligns with Meta's recent decision to give Instagram and Facebook users more control over the amount of sensitive content they see or if they're in the US, how much fact-checked content they see on each app.
Questions remain about fact-checking program details
There are some unanswered questions, however, about how misinformative posts will be labeled and how accurate and contextual information will be displayed. Threads has steered clear of news so far, but with fact-checking programs, it will have to dive in. In October, Mosseri said that while Threads isn't "anti-news" it won't "amplify news" on the platform, per TechCrunch. Meta's efforts to tackle misinformation are vital, especially given the past issues with the spread of false information on its platforms.
