Meta will begin testing its crowd-sourced fact-checking initiative, Community Notes, on March 18, following the model used by Elon Musk's X, the company announced on Thursday.

Meta had previously discontinued its fact-checking programme in January, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg stating that fact-checkers had become “politically biased,” echoing criticisms long voiced by conservatives. However, media experts and social media researchers expressed deep concern over the policy change.

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“The decision not only eliminates a valuable resource for users but also lends credibility to the widespread disinformation narrative that fact-checking is politically biased. Fact-checkers play a crucial role by providing essential context to viral claims that mislead millions on Meta,” said Dan Evon, lead writer for RumorGuard, the News Literacy Project’s digital tool that curates fact checks and educates people on identifying misinformation.

Meta first introduced fact-checking in December 2016 following Donald Trump’s election, responding to concerns about the spread of “fake news” on its platforms. For years, the company partnered with over 100 organisations across more than 60 languages to combat misinformation. The Associated Press withdrew from Meta’s fact-checking programme more than a year ago.

Community Notes will eventually replace fact checks, though not immediately. Meta stated that potential contributors in the U.S. can begin signing up for the programme, but their notes will not be visible right away.

“We will start by gradually and randomly admitting people from the waitlist and will take time to test the writing and rating system before any notes are published publicly,” Meta explained.

Meta emphasised that it would not determine what content gets rated or written, and notes will only be published if contributors with diverse viewpoints reach a broad consensus. Unlike the previous fact-checking system, where flagged misinformation saw reduced distribution, posts with Community Notes will not face penalties.

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Fact checks will remain in place outside the U.S. for now, though Meta intends to expand Community Notes globally in the future.