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Conservatives are reacting after Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday morning that he’s going to dump the “fact checkers” and “restore free expression” across all Facebook, Instagram and Meta platforms.
Following the 2016 election, Meta put into place a third-party fact-checking program to “manage content” and “misinformation” on its platforms, which resulted in severe censorship of conservatives news, and finally, kicking President Trump off the platform in January 2021, after the January 6 Capitol protest.
Zuckerberg has since admitted that the years of censorship was largely due to “political pressure.” Meta executives have also admitted the content management system has “gone too far.”
Now that Trump is returning to the Oval Office, Zuckerberg says he’s committed to protecting free speech.
🚨 BREAKING: Mark Zuckerberg announces sweeping changes to Facebook and Instagram to move toward Free Speech including:
-Ending Third-Party Fact Checking and Replacing it with Community Notes like 𝕏
-Removing Reduction of Political Content
-Lifting Topic Restrictions pic.twitter.com/9Y2DVQSrpk— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 7, 2025
Some conservatives are cheering the announcement, while others are skeptical that Zuckerberg will really stop the censorship.
Podcast host Dennis Michael Lynch, who has been heavily censored by Facebook since shortly after the 2016 election, reacted to the news on his podcast Tuesday morning.
“Zuckerberg admits Facebook censored conservatives and manipulated political content—proving once again Zuckerberg is a fraud. What about the lost money, silenced voices, and countless damage done?” DML asked.
WATCH: Zuckerberg admits Facebook censored conservatives and manipulated political content—proving once again Zuckerberg is a fraud.
What about the lost money, silenced voices, and countless damage done? pic.twitter.com/gs7WwP1X1B
— Dennis Michael Lynch (@TrustDML) January 7, 2025
DML, who has 1.3 million followers on Facebook, typically had 8,000 to 10,000 people watching any time he hosted a Facebook Live video, prior to the 2016 election.
So, he decided to try it out during his podcast, not long after Zuckerberg’s announcement. DML started a Facebook Live video, and only 150 people joined in. Clearly, the blocks are still in place.
Attorney Rogan O’Handley wrote, “Let’s be real. Zuckerberg was about to be investigated for giving $400+ million to Democrat election operations in 2020 so he went to Trump and said “what changes do you want on Facebook”?”
Let’s be real
Zuckerberg was about to be investigated for giving $400+ million to Democrat election operations in 2020 so he went to Trump and said “what changes do you want on Facebook”?
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) January 7, 2025
Conservative rapper Tom MacDonald had a message for Zuckerberg, as he posted a video on X.
“After years of censorship and shadow-banning and removing your content and deleting your profiles and suppressing the truth and amplifying misinformation, Mark Zuckerberg has decided that he really likes free speech,” he mocked, adding that he thinks it’s too little, too late.
Dear Zuckerberg… pic.twitter.com/QOCtrwJWfP
— Tom MacDonald (@IAMTOMMACDONALD) January 7, 2025
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wrote, “Meta finally admits to censoring speech…what a great birthday present to wake up to and a huge win for free speech.”
“This is awesome,” replied Elon Musk.
This is awesome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2025
Another X user wrote, “I don’t trust him. I’ll believe it when I see it. He also needs to reinstate the accounts of the thousands, if not millions, of accounts that lost all of their memories and photos of their kids due to his compliance with government overreach.”
I don’t trust him. I’ll believe it when I see it. He also needs to reinstate the accounts of the thousands, if not millions, of accounts that lost all of their memories and photos of their kids due to his compliance with government overreach.
— SKDoubleDub (@SKDoubleDub33) January 7, 2025
Podcaster Benny Johnson wrote, “I’ve spoken at length about the withering censorship on Facebook. It destroyed careers and killed the most vibrant creator ecosystem on the internet at the time. The moves today will begin to set things right. This must never happen again.”
I’ve spoken at length about the withering censorship on Facebook. It destroyed careers and killed the most vibrant creator ecosystem on the internet at the time. The moves today will begin to set things right. This must never happen again. https://t.co/M0wcoMjYMP
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 7, 2025
Author Hans Mahncke wrote “Facebook had 40,000 “fact-checkers”—FORTY THOUSAND. That’s enough to double Greenland’s population if you shipped them all there.”
Facebook had 40,000 “fact-checkers”—FORTY THOUSAND.
That’s enough to double Greenland’s population if you shipped them all there. pic.twitter.com/6A8MNQrUm9
— Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) January 7, 2025
Conservative commentator and veteran Rob Smith posted a video and wrote, “Since everyone is talking about Facebook, here is the video that got me reported and demonetized on my Facebook page with 600,000 followers. THIS is speech @Meta draconian content moderation policies punished. “English Should Be America’s OFFICIAL Language.”
Since everyone is talking about Facebook, here is the video that got me reported and demonetized on my Facebook page with 600,000 followers.
THIS is speech @Meta draconian content moderation policies punished.
“English Should Be America’s OFFICIAL Language.” pic.twitter.com/irNO1g6deW
— Rob Smith (@robsmithonline) January 7, 2025
Riley Gaines blasted those who still claim there was no censorship.
“So, Zuckerberg—the CEO of Facebook and Meta—admits that right-wing censorship exists on his platform, and some of you STILL deny it? If you won’t believe it straight from the CEO, there’s no helping you,” she wrote.
So, Zuckerberg—the CEO of Facebook and Meta—admits that right-wing censorship exists on his platform, and some of you STILL deny it?
If you won’t believe it straight from the CEO, there’s no helping you.
pic.twitter.com/dsBHVqtbFc— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) January 7, 2025
Rita Panahi wrote, “Oh look Zuckerberg is now pro-free speech & will do something about Facebook & Instagram’s insanely Leftist “fact-checking” & censorship issues. But never forgot this dude donated around $450 million of his own money to “fortify” the 2020 election. 🐍.”
Oh look Zuckerberg is now pro-free speech & will do something about Facebook & Instagram’s insanely Leftist “fact-checking” & censorship issues. But never forgot this dude donated around $450 million of his own money to “fortify” the 2020 election. 🐍
pic.twitter.com/VX6D8dwU1l— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) January 7, 2025
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr (soon to be the FCC Chairman) noted this is just a start.
“President Trump’s resolute and strong support for the free speech rights of everyday Americans is already paying dividends. Facebook’s announcements is a good step in the right direction. I look forward to monitoring these developments and their implementation. The work continues until the censorship cartel is completely dismantled and destroyed,” he vowed.
President Trump’s resolute and strong support for the free speech rights of everyday Americans is already paying dividends.
Facebook’s announcements is a good step in the right direction.
I look forward to monitoring these developments and their implementation.
The work… pic.twitter.com/kqmlSzmWPo
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) January 7, 2025
NEWS ALERT: Zuckerberg says he’s dumping fact-checkers in pro-free speech policy move
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