“It took real guts” for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to admit that Facebook’s “fact-checkers” were unjustly censoring viewpoints – and to end the platform’s fact-check program – Media Research Center (MRC) President Brent Bozell said Tuesday following Zuckerberg’s announcement.
“It's time to get back to our roots around free expression. We're replacing fact checkers with Community Notes, simplifying our policies and focusing on reducing mistakes. Looking forward to this next chapter,” Zuckerberg wrote, introducing a Facebook video post, in which he admits the bias practiced by his third-party arbiters of “fact” and outlines the changes he’s making to restore free speech to the platform.
In a statement reacting to the news, Bozell praised Zuckerberg for taking “a giant step toward helping to grow freedom everywhere” by promising to institute meaningful reforms that will address the rampant bias exposed and documented by MRC:
“After his company banned President Donald Trump’s accounts — and after racking up 1,725 cases of censorship in our CensorTrack database — today Mark demonstrated real courage by acknowledging his company’s past mistakes and outlining, with specificity, how he will do better.”
“Our years-long battle for free speech on the internet has finally borne fruit,” Bozell said, calling on other social media platforms to follow suit and end their censorship practices:
“It took real guts for Mark to make these admissions and it is exciting to hear he is returning to the principles of free speech. It is time for others, especially Google and Tik Tok, to follow Mark’s lead.”
Bozell’s full statement is presented below:
Brent Bozell Statement on Facebook Dismantling Its Fact-Checker Program
I commend Mark Zuckerberg for doing the right thing and enacting real, meaningful reforms to move Facebook closer to a platform for free speech. I know Mark has long believed that his company should strengthen freedom and democracy around the world. Today, he has taken a giant step toward helping to grow freedom everywhere.
After his company banned President Donald Trump’s accounts — and after racking up 1,725 cases of censorship in our CensorTrack database — today Mark demonstrated real courage by acknowledging his company’s past mistakes and outlining, with specificity, how he will do better.
In his announcement this morning, he promised to do away with his so-called “third-party fact-checkers,” a coalition of leftist activists that target conservative speech. Zuckerberg also swore to remove the algorithmic manipulations that currently suppress political speech on the platform. He further vowed to permit the free exchange of ideas on once-verboten topics, including gender ideology and climate change.
Our years-long battle for free speech on the internet has finally borne fruit. I also want to thank my allies in the Free Speech Alliance and all the patriotic Americans who have stood with us for bringing about this great victory for free speech. We have many more battles ahead, but this is a major step forward for Facebook.
It took real guts for Mark to make these admissions and it is exciting to hear he is returning to the principles of free speech. It is time for others, especially Google and Tik Tok, to follow Mark’s lead.