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Press Release Meta’s Fact-Checking Program Ends and Moderation Policies Change: A Growing Concern for LGBTQIA+ Audiences

published on 16 January 2025

Persbericht : Einde van fact-checking en versoepeling van moderatie op Facebook en Instagram: een bedreiging voor de bescherming van het LGBTQIA+-publiek

Press Release : Meta’s Fact-Checking Program Ends and Moderation Policies Change: A Growing Concern for LGBTQIA+ Audiences

 

On January 7, 2025, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced the termination of its fact-checking program and significant changes to its moderation policies. This decision, made prior to Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States, has sparked serious concerns regarding its impact on vulnerable communities, particularly LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Meta plans to replace its existing verification and moderation processes with a system called “community notes.” This model shifts the responsibility of evaluating and approving content to the platform’s users through a voting system. By abandoning the expertise of fact-checking organizations and anti-discrimination specialists, Meta is relying on collective goodwill—a precarious approach in a digital environment often rife with toxicity and hate speech.

The collapse of traditional moderation, coupled with new platform rules, now permits discriminatory comments, including those labeling LGBTQIA+ individuals as “mentally ill.” This tacit tolerance for hate speech, under the guise of promoting a distorted notion of free speech, represents a troubling regression.

As Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated: “We’re going back to our roots, reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring freedom of expression on our platforms.”

In an international context marked by increasing discriminatory rhetoric and attacks on minority rights, Meta’s decision risks amplifying the spread of hate messages. LGBTQIA+ people, women, racialized communities, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups, who already face systemic discrimination, will become even more vulnerable to false information, insults, and calls for violence.

In Europe, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Belgian laws provide a stronger framework for user protection. However, these safeguards must be reinforced to prevent any weakening of moderation policies within the European digital sphere.

RainbowHouse Brussels’ Demands

In light of these alarming developments, RainbowHouse Brussels is calling for strong and coordinated action:

  • To the Belgian Federal Government and the Brussels-Capital Region: Ensure heightened vigilance and rigorous enforcement of laws protecting online users.
  • To the European Commission: Accelerate the implementation of the Digital Services Act to compel platforms to uphold principles of accountability and public protection.
  • To Belgian and European policymakers: Take firm action against the rollback of moderation policies and demand that platforms take responsibility for the abuses that occur.

Social networks must not become breeding grounds for hate speech at the expense of fundamental human rights. It is urgent to guarantee the safety of LGBTQIA+ individuals and other minority groups, who are now more exposed than ever.

A Call to Action

RainbowHouse Brussels reminds us that protecting the most vulnerable is an ongoing fight, both online and offline. Taking action means advocating for an inclusive and respectful digital space that upholds fundamental rights for everyone, today and in the future.

RainbowHouse Brussels is joining forces with ILGA-Europe, the umbrella organization for European LGBTQIA+ associations, to amplify this message.

We invite everyone to support LGBTQIA+ associations and content creators who are actively combating all forms of discrimination by liking and sharing their pages on Instagram and Facebook.

Reporting LGBTQIA+-Phobic Violence

Have you or someone you know experienced LGBTQIA+-phobic violence online in the Brussels-Capital Region? You can report it anonymously in a secure environment via SMS at +32 492 40 84 84 or by email at fiche@rainbowhouse.be.

Press Contacts:

  • French: Xavier Wyns +32 471 93 52 69 and Valentine Denis +32 491 61 18 66
  • Dutch: Frank Schellings +32 478 54 48 53

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