Idec expresses concern about thechanges announced today by Mark Zuckerbergin Facebook content moderation, Instagram and Threads. The replacement of fact-checkers with "community notes" and the reduction of moderation filters may increase the circulation of misinformation, hate speech and harmful content on platforms
These changes challenge legitimate regulatory initiatives and directly impact the daily lives of users, exposing them to frauds, abuses and misleading information that can harm daily actions, how to shop online and search for health information. In addition to also being potentially dangerous during election periods, the weakening of moderation rules decreases the safety of platforms, especially for more vulnerable groups, like the elderly, black people, children and adolescents
Idec warns that the changes announced by Meta demonstrate the structural problem of power concentration in the hands of corporations that act as arbiters of the digital public space and prioritize corporate interests over user safety and rights. Such abusive change reinforces the need for more robust regulation that holds platforms accountable for the damages caused by their business models and prioritizes consumer protection in the digital environment. It is essential that users remain vigilant and that governments and organizations act to ensure a safer and more trustworthy online space
