The late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan put it this way decades ago: “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

To researchers who have studied moderation efforts and platforms, it’s the most recent move toward a more freewheeling and unbridled social media environment.

Meta’s shift away from fact checking will require changes for the billions of people who use Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Here’s how they can tell truth from fiction.

Meta - the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads​ - said it's ending its fact-checking program. What does that mean for social media?

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.

Zuckerberg said Meta would get rid of fact-checkers for Facebook, Instagram and Threads, starting in the United States, and replace it with a "community notes" system similar to t

Meta's announcement that it would scrap its fact-checking system was hailed by some, but it also prompted fears that it will allow more online hate.

Mark Zuckerberg’s new edgy vibe has extended to shrugging off the need for independent Facebook and Instagram fact-checkers. But