Meta has officially opened sign-ups for its Community Notes program on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, signaling a shift away from its third-party fact-checking initiative.
The company aims to adopt a crowdsourced moderation approach similar to X (formerly Twitter), where users can add context to potentially misleading posts.
To participate, users must be based in the U.S., over 18 years old, and have an account that’s at least six months old and in good standing. They also need either a verified phone number or two-factor authentication enabled. Contributors will be able to submit Community Notes—brief explanations, background information, or clarifications—to posts they find misleading. These notes will be capped at 500 characters and must include a source link.
Meta’s system will publish Community Notes only if contributors with differing viewpoints agree on their usefulness. If consensus isn’t reached, the note won’t be added. Meta has emphasized that contributors, not the company itself, will write and rate these notes, ensuring alignment with its Community Standards.
The rollout will begin in the U.S. over the coming months, though Meta hasn’t confirmed when Community Notes will expand to other countries.
The shift comes as Meta moves toward a more hands-off approach to content moderation, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously criticizing fact-checkers for being “too politically biased” and causing more harm than good.
