‘Dangerous times’ ahead after Meta ends US fact-checking, says Nobel peace prize winner
MANILA: Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa warned on Wednesday of “extremely dangerous times ahead” in an interview with AFP after social media giant Meta ended its US fact-checking programme on Facebook and Instagram.
Ressa and the Rappler news site she co-founded have spent years fighting online disinformation while battling court cases filed under former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte after critical reporting of his deadly drug war.
The veteran journalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 said Meta´s decision meant “extremely dangerous times ahead” for journalism, democracy and social media users.
“Mark Zuckerberg says it´s a free speech issue -- that´s completely wrong,” Ressa told AFP at Rappler´s newsroom in Manila.
Meta´s announcement on Tuesday was seen by analysts as an attempt by Zuckerberg to appease US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration this month.
Trump has been a harsh critic of Meta and Zuckerberg for years, accusing the company of bias against him and threatening to retaliate against the tech billionaire once back in office.
-
Can AI Bully Humans? Bot Publicly Criticises Engineer After Code Rejection -
Search For Savannah Guthrie’s Abducted Mom Enters Unthinkable Phase -
Imagine Dragons Star, Dan Reynolds Recalls 'frustrating' Diagnosis -
Steve Jobs Once Called Google Over Single Shade Of Yellow: Here’s Why -
Barack Obama Addresses UFO Mystery: Aliens Are ‘real’ But Debunks Area 51 Conspiracy Theories -
Selma Blair Explains Why Multiple Sclerosis 'isn't So Scary' -
Will Smith Surprises Wife Jada Pinkett With Unusual Gift On Valentine's Day -
Shamed Andrew Has Paid Royal Favours With ‘national Scandal’ -
Prince William Ticked Off By How Andrew ‘behaved With Staff’ -
Prince William Questions Himself ‘what’s The Point’ After Saudi Trip -
James Van Der Beek's Friends Helped Fund Ranch Purchase Before His Death At 48 -
King Charles ‘very Much’ Wants Andrew To Testify At US Congress -
Rosie O’Donnell Secretly Returned To US To Test Safety -
Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Spotted On Date Night On Valentine’s Day -
King Charles Butler Spills Valentine’s Day Dinner Blunders -
Brooklyn Beckham Hits Back At Gordon Ramsay With Subtle Move Over Remark On His Personal Life