As platform scales back moderation in line with conservative demands in the United States, it still has to maneuver through stiffer regulations in Europe and elsewhere.

Tech giant Meta's shock announcement to end its US fact-checking program triggered scathing criticism Tuesday from disinformation researchers who warned it risked opening the floodgates for proliferating false narratives.

“Fact-checkers have just been too politically biased, and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S.,” Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg said in a video message announcing the company's move away from fact-checking. David Zalubowski/AP

Fact-checkers claim they had no idea the company was going to end their partnerships and are scrambling to figure out the financial implications of the move.

Meta, in an apparent attempt to placate incoming president Donald Trump, is changing its moderation practices to remove fact-checking.

The social networking giant will stop using third-party fact-checkers on Facebook, Threads and Instagram and instead rely on users to add notes to posts. It is likely to please President-elect Trump and his allies.

Social media giant Meta on Tuesday slashed its content moderation policies, including ending its US fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram, in a major shift that conforms with the priorities of incoming president Donald Trump.

Social media giant Meta announced Tuesday a significant rollback of its content moderation policies, including the termination of its third-party fact-checking program in the United States.