Description

Meta’s decision to discontinue fact-checking programmes on Facebook and Instagram marks a significant shift in its content management strategy, aligning with efforts to reduce external oversight while complying with U.S. regulations. This policy change raises concerns about the unchecked spread of misinformation, particularly given social media’s crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing international affairs. The absence of fact-checking mechanisms may exacerbate geopolitical tensions, erode trust in digital platforms, and deepen ideological divides. This study examines the implications of Meta’s decision, emphasising how non-state actors can weaponise misinformation, hinder international collaboration, and destabilise global discourse. A case study on the Rohingya crisis illustrates how unregulated disinformation on Facebook contributed to violence in Myanmar and Bangladesh, highlighting the tangible consequences of such policy shifts. Applying a content analysis method based on Meta’s newsroom reports, community guidelines, and secondary literature, this research assesses the broader geopolitical and diplomatic ramifications of unregulated information flows. By analysing past and ongoing incidents, the study highlights the risks that Meta’s policy poses to international stability, diplomacy, and global cooperation on critical issues, including public health, climate change, and electoral integrity. Although the paper draws on examples from the pre-2025 era, these instances are instrumental in understanding the build-up to Meta’s decision and its foreseeable consequences in a post-fact-checking ecosystem. The analysis aims to establish continuity of studying this field so that the changes across this policy transition from time to time are well addressed.

Keywords: Meta, Fact-Checking, Social Media, Misinformation, Disinformation, Cyber Warfare, Election Interference, Global Discourse, Geopolitics, Soft Power, Diplomacy.