SAN FRANCISCO – In November 2016, as Facebook faced criticism for spreading fake news and conspiracy theories during Donald Trump’s first election, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote an apologetic post. He announced steps to tackle misinformation on Facebook, including working with fact-checkers.
Eight years later, Zuckerberg is no longer apologizing. On January 7, he announced that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, was ending its fact-checking program and returning to its roots of free expression. He stated that the fact-checking system had led to “too much censorship.”
This marks a significant transformation for Zuckerberg. In recent years, the 40-year-old CEO has shifted away from his previous approach to addressing problems on his social platforms. Frustrated by constant criticism, he has told close executives that he wants to return to his original thinking on free speech, which involves lighter content moderation.
Zuckerberg has reshaped Meta accordingly. The CrowdTangle transparency tool, which allowed monitoring of conspiracy theories and misinformation, has been removed. The election integrity team has been folded into a general integrity team. Instead, Zuckerberg has focused on technology efforts, including investments in the metaverse and artificial intelligence (AI).
Zuckerberg’s change is evident on his social media. Photos of him in a suit and tie testifying before Congress have been replaced by videos of him with longer hair, gold chains, and engaging in extreme sports. Long Facebook posts about Meta’s commitment to democracy have given way to quips on Threads and videos showcasing the company’s latest AI initiatives.
“This shows how Mark Zuckerberg is feeling that society is more accepting of those libertarian and right-leaning viewpoints that he’s always had,” said Katie Harbath, CEO of tech consulting firm Anchor Change and former Facebook employee. “This is an evolved return to his political origins.”
Zuckerberg has long been a pragmatist, adapting to political winds. He has flip-flopped on how much political content should be shown to users, previously advocating for fun, relatable content from family and friends, but now supporting more personalized political content.
Zuckerberg has told close executives that he is comfortable with Meta’s new direction. He sees his recent steps as a return to his original thinking on free speech and free expression, with Meta limiting its content monitoring and control.
Zuckerberg was never comfortable with the involvement of outside fact-checkers, academics, or researchers in his company. He now views many of the steps taken after the 2016 election as mistakes. “Fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created,” Zuckerberg said in a video on January 7 about ending the fact-checking program.
Meta declined to comment.
Those who have known Zuckerberg for decades describe him as a natural libertarian, who enjoyed reading books on free expression and the free market system after dropping out of Harvard to start Facebook in 2004. As his company grew, so did pressure to moderate content on his platform.
Crises, including the genocide in Myanmar, where Facebook was blamed for spreading hate speech against the Muslim Rohingya people, forced Zuckerberg to expand moderation teams and define speech rules on his social networks. He was coached by close associates, including former COO Sheryl Sandberg, to become more involved in politics.
After the 2016 election, Zuckerberg embarked on a public campaign to clear his name and redeem his company. He held regular meetings with civic leaders, invited politicians to visit Meta’s headquarters, rolled out transparency tools like CrowdTangle, and brought on fact-checkers.
In 2021, when the January 6 riot broke out at the US Capitol after the presidential election, Meta was again held responsible for hosting speech that fomented the violence. Two weeks later, Zuckerberg told investors that the company was “considering steps” to reduce political content across Facebook.
Since then, Zuckerberg’s evolution has been steady. Executives who pushed him to involve himself directly in politics, including Sandberg, have left the company. Those closest to him now support his focus on his interests, including extreme sports and promoting AI initiatives.
In a podcast interview in San Francisco recorded live in front of an audience of 6,000 in September, Zuckerberg spoke for nearly 90 minutes about his love of technology. He said he should have rejected accusations that his company was responsible for societal ills.
“I think that the political miscalculation was a 20-year mistake,” he said. He added that it could take another decade for him to move Meta’s brand back to where he wanted it. “We’ll get through it, and we’ll come out stronger,” Zuckerberg said.