Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently aimed at Mark Zuckerberg after Meta’s latest move to scrap fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads via New York Post.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently slammed the company’s latest policy changes and condemned the social media mogul for bidding farewell to the long-standing fact-checking program the platforms have used in previous years.
“It doesn’t matter whether your views are left, right or somewhere in between — the latest news from Meta about changes to their policies directly undermines free speech,” the couple said in a statement published on their Archewell website. “This should deeply concern us all.”
“Contrary to the company’s talking points, allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech serves to silence speech and expression, not foster it,” the pair went on, calling it a “harmful setback.”
“In an already confusing and, in many instances, intentionally disruptive information environment, Meta has shown their words and commitments have very little meaning or integrity.”
The duo stated that Zuckerberg’s latest move could have substantial global implications, particularly for those “still recovering from or actively suffering from” the negative effects of social media.
Meta’s fact-checking program was initially introduced to battle the spread of misinformation on its platforms. Zuckerberg then justified the decision to scrap it as part of a broader strategy to embrace “free expression,” describing the 2024 election as a “cultural tipping point” that necessitated the change.
“It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression,” he said in his announcement.
However, the Sussexes claim that the CEO’s decision goes “directly against [Meta’s] stated mission to ‘build human connection’ and instead prioritize those using the platforms to spread hate, lies and division at the expense of everyone else.”
