This initiative will replace the company’s third-party fact-checking program in the United States, which it announced in January would be discontinued.
Beginning March 18, the Community Notes system will allow users to write and rate contextual notes on content, a model inspired by a similar feature on social media platform X.
Initially, the notes will not be publicly visible as Meta tests the writing and rating system to ensure it functions as intended, the company said in a release. The company stated that it is focused on gradually rolling out the feature, prioritizing accuracy and usability before a full public release.
Meta said Community Notes will provide a less biased approach to content moderation by incorporating a range of perspectives.
Notes will be published only if contributors with differing viewpoints agree that they add helpful context. This method, according to Meta, is designed to prevent any single ideological group from dominating the fact-checking process.
The platform has already had about 200,000 users sign up as potential contributors, and the waiting list remains open. To qualify, contributors must be at least 18 years old, have an account in good standing that is more than six months old, and have either a verified phone number or two-factor authentication enabled.
Initially, Community Notes will support six languages commonly used in the United States: English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Portuguese.
Meta plans to expand this offering to additional languages over time. However, notes will not be available on advertisements during the initial rollout, though they can be applied to nearly all other content, including posts from Meta executives, politicians, and public figures.
The rating system for Community Notes will be based on X’s open-source algorithm, which Meta will use as a foundation while developing its own improvements, the company said.
The algorithm assesses contributors’ rating histories and prioritizes agreement among individuals with differing viewpoints. Over time, Meta may refine or modify the algorithm to better fit its platforms.
Meta emphasizes that unlike the previous third-party fact-checking program, Community Notes will not impact a post’s reach or visibility. While fact-checked posts were often demoted in users’ feeds, Community Notes will serve as an informational tool rather than a moderation mechanism.
The shift to Community Notes marks one of Meta’s biggest changes in content moderation and is being made as CEO Mark Zuckerberg works to improve relations with the Trump administration, which has criticized social media companies for allegedly suppressing conservative viewpoints, according to Reuters.
The company previously partnered with nearly 100 certified fact-checking organizations in more than 60 languages, highlighting the scale of its prior efforts.
Meta is building upon X’s Community Notes system, which was originally introduced in 2022 as a rebranded version of Twitter’s Birdwatch program.
Once testing concludes and Meta is satisfied with the system’s performance, Community Notes will be officially launched in the United States.
Although Meta intends to expand Community Notes to a global audience, the third-party fact-checking program will continue to operate in other countries until the new system is implemented worldwide.
