Biden: Zuckerberg's decision to end Meta fact-checking is 'really shameful'

Outgoing President Biden weighed in on CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision to end the fact-checking programs on Meta's platforms, calling it a “really shameful” choice since “telling the truth matters.” 

“The whole idea of walking away from fact-checking as well as not reporting anything having to do with discrimination regarding…I find it to be contrary to American justice. Telling the truth matters,” Biden told reporters on Friday during an unexpected and rare question-and-answer session in the Roosevelt Room. 

“I don't know what that's all about, it's completely contrary to what America is about,” he added. “We want to tell the truth. The idea that a billionaire can buy something and say that they won't fact check, and then you have millions of people reading it — I think it's really shameful.” 

Zuckerberg announced on Tuesday in a video that Meta would axe the fact-checking feature, along with altering other content-moderation policies, on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Threads, which all host billions of people daily. 

“First, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X, starting in the U.S.” the tech billionaire said, adding that the 2024 presidential election was the main reason for making the decision. 

“The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards, once again, prioritizing speech,” Zuckerberg said. “So we’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms.”

Biden said during an outgoing interview with USA Today, which was published on Wednesday, that his biggest regret is failing to counter misinformation, including assertions from his former political rival and successor, President-elect Trump. 

During his appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” Friday, Zuckerberg stated that the current administration’s officials would “curse” and “scream” at Meta employees when they disagreed with the administration’s takedown request regarding COVID-19 pandemic-related content. 

Ahead of Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Meta has made some significant internal changes. The tech giant told its workers on Friday that it would also yank its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team and roll back related programs, citing the evolving “legal and policy landscape” in the country.