In a report by The Guardian, Meta is shaking things up by scrapping third-party fact-checking and rolling out a hands-off content moderation approach. Instead, users will rely on "community notes" to self-police content – a method that Elon Musk introduced on X (formerly Twitter).
Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, emphasized that despite this shift, the company remains committed to safety and integrity, maintaining a team of 40,000 staff and a $5 billion budget dedicated to moderation.
In a video explaining the shift, Mark Zuckerberg blamed "governments and legacy media" for pushing excessive censorship.
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"Our systems had too many mistakes and too much censorship," he said, calling recent elections a "cultural tipping point" for prioritizing free speech. Musk, never one to miss an opportunity, called Meta's move "cool" in a post on X.
This isn't the first time Zuckerberg has followed Musk's lead. In 2022, Musk bought Twitter, gutted its content moderation. He also reduced the company’s workforce by approximately 50%, laying off about 3,700 employees. Critics warned of chaos, but the platform held steady, earning Musk praise for cutting costs. Shortly after, Zuckerberg made similar moves.
Meta announced 11,000 layoffs in late 2022 and axed another 10,000 jobs in 2023, dubbing it the "year of efficiency." As per The Verge, Zuckerberg said Musk's drastic cuts inspired him to rethink Meta's bloated operations.
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In another Musk-inspired move, Meta plans to relocate its trust-and-safety teams from California to Texas. Musk has already relocated X, Starlink and The Boring Company to the Lone Star State.
Texas offers lower taxes and fewer regulations, making it a tech haven. Industry experts told Wired this relocation aligns with a broader cost-saving trend among Silicon Valley's biggest players.
Musk's influence isn't just about business. Reports suggest he donated over $250 million to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, primarily through super PACs such as America PAC, RBG PAC and the MAHA Alliance. He also used X (formerly Twitter) to amplify support for the president-elect. These efforts have positioned Musk as one of U.S. history’s most politically influential unelected figures.
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By comparison, Zuckerberg is taking a quieter yet equally calculated approach. As The Wall Street Journal reported, Meta Platforms, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, marking a significant shift in their previously contentious relationship.
This move is part of Zuckerberg’s broader efforts to build bridges with the incoming administration, following past criticisms and policy disagreements.
Zuckerberg recently dined at Mar-a-Lago, as per Euronews, appointed Trump ally UFC CEO Dana White to Meta's board, and promoted Republican lobbyist Joel Kaplan to chief global affairs officer. Kaplan even appeared on Fox & Friends to promote Meta's content-moderation changes.
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Meta's new approach marks a stark reversal. After the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, the company cracked down on political content and suspended Trump's accounts.
Trump was reinstated in 2023, with Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, stating that the public “should be able to hear from their politicians.” Meta plans to reintroduce political content to user feeds, echoing Musk's strategy at X.
While early studies, cited by The Washington Post, show mixed results for X's community notes in fighting misinformation, Musk's wealth has soared. Forbes reports that as of Jan. 23, 2025, Musk’s net worth is approximately $412.3 billion.
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