Facebook's Biased Fact-Checking System: A History of Suppression

Introduction

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement to overhaul Facebook and Instagram's content moderation practices includes eliminating the company's biased third-party "fact checkers."

Examples of Bias in Facebook Fact-Checking

1. **USA Today Fact-Checks Breitbart News on Amnesty Use**:

Facebook allowed a misleading fact-check to restrict access to a Breitbart News story, using an intern's subjective interpretation of the term "amnesty."

2. **PolitiFact 'Fact-Checks' Breitbart News in Facebook Comments**:

Facebook-approved fact-checker PolitiFact posted links to rival publications' articles under Breitbart News' comments, despite no dispute over the facts presented.

3. **Leftist Fact-Checker Admits Wrongly Flagging Article on Mask Mandates**:

Science Feedback initially flagged a Reason article criticizing a CDC study on mask mandates in schools, but later reversed its decision, acknowledging its error.

4. **Facebook Fact-Checkers Add 'Context' to Biden Video That Requires No Context**:

Facebook's fact-checkers labeled a video of Joe Biden interacting with his grandson at a funeral as "missing context," despite the fact that no context was provided.

5. **John Stossel Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Facebook over Fact-Check**:

Stossel alleged that Facebook falsely attributed a claim to him and labeled his content misleading, despite it expressing a scientific hypothesis.

6. **Facebook Fact Checker 'Fact-Checks' Critique of Itself**:

The Federalist's critique of Facebook fact-checker Lead Stories resulted in Lead Stories fact-checking the critique itself, highlighting the absurdity of Facebook's system.

7. **PolitiFact Admits Bogus Fact Check After Candace Owens Challenges 'False' Rating**:

PolitiFact retracted a "false" rating on Owens' video after OWens challenged it, demonstrating the fallibility of Facebook's fact-checking practices.

8. **Dispatch's Fake Fact Check Results in Facebook Blacklisting Pro-Life Ad**:

Facebook blacklisted a series of pro-life ads after The Dispatch published a fake fact check that falsely claimed the ads were "partly false."

9. **Facebook 'Fact Checks' Pro-Trump Ads About the War on Women's Sports**:

Facebook labeled an ad criticizing allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports as "lacking context," despite its factual basis.

10. **Erroneous Facebook Fact Check Relied on Professor with Ties to Wuhan Lab**:

Facebook's reliance on a professor with ties to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for a fact check on COVID-19 raised concerns about conflicts of interest.

11. **Instagram 'Fact-Checking' Filters Satirical Posts and Memes**:

Facebook's Instagram platform labeled satirical posts and memes as "false," demonstrating its confusion between satire and factual assertions.

12. **Facebook Suppresses Pro-Life Group Live Action Based on 'Fact-Checkers'**:

Facebook restricted pro-life organization Live Action based on "false news" determinations by supposed third-party fact-checkers who were actually abortion doctors.

Conclusion

These examples expose the extreme bias of Facebook's third-party fact-checkers. Zuckerberg's promise to adopt a pro-free speech approach requires vigilance and close monitoring to ensure that his company follows through with its commitment.