Meta's Fact-Checking Woes: Community Notes Fail to Curb Misinformation

In August 2025, a Washington Post columnist has revealed significant issues with Meta's community notes fact-checking system. After participating in the program for four months and drafting over 65 notes, the columnist found that only three of his proposed notes were published, despite his efforts to avoid bias and fact-check posts across the political spectrum.

The columnist argues that Meta's "bridging algorithm," which determines which notes get published, is a major problem, as it requires contributors who have disagreed on past notes to agree that a new note is beneficial. This has resulted in the suppression of factual notes on issues like AI deepfakes.

Furthermore, the columnist discovered that posts he identified for notes often could not be accepted due to technical problems or because they were written by accounts outside the U.S., which are excluded from the initial program. The columnist also found that some of the notes suggested by others were of low quality, containing more opinions than facts.

Amid these challenges, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shared the company's plans for 'personal superintelligence,' further raising concerns about the platform's ability to effectively combat misinformation. Additionally, the Washington Post's outgoing fact-checker, Glenn Kessler, has taken a buyout, leaving his position unfilled.