The statement by Impress reads as follows:
The world’s online spaces are in need of strong interventions in order to tackle the explosion of mis- and disinformation we have seen.
We are therefore disappointed to learn of Meta’s decision to withdraw factcheckers as a tool to combat mis- and disinformation from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and replace them with unproven methods.
But this is the predictable result of platforms doing the bare minimum for years to reduce harm on their services, and with new regulations in the UK and EU failing to effectively address the issue of misinformation, self-regulatory standards were always likely to take a nosedive.
The issue of online mis- and disinformation, however, remains an urgent blight on society and one that has serious real-world impacts on individuals and communities.
More needs to be done to tackle it and Impress remains open and willing to work with anyone who shares this vision.
Impress Chair Richard Ayre added: “Decades ago American journalism pioneered fact-checkers to aim for accuracy in news. Today, any online platform that regards the search for truth as “mission creep” is choosing to be complicit in misleading and mis-directing the public.”
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