Meta’s Safety Advisory Council Says Company “Prioritizing Political Ideologies” Over Safety
February 2, 2025
Many of Meta’s recent changes risk “prioritizing political ideologies over global safety imperatives,” according to the independent Meta Safety Advisory Council.
In a Jan. 30 letter sent to Monika Bickert, Meta’s Head of Global Policy Management, and Kevin Martin, Head of Global Public Policy, the council notes that “as one of the world’s most influential companies, Meta’s policies set a powerful signal—not just for online behavior, but also for societal norms.”
Meta has announced some major changes to how its platforms function over the past few months, rolling back its use of third-party fact-checkers, as well as shuttering company-wide DEI policies, and reintroducing political content in the US.
The Meta Safety Advisory Council is made up of eight independent internet safety organizations from around the world, including Brazil, India, and Australia, that consult with Meta on safety-related issues. It’s not a fan of dropping fact-checkers; the council says this model shifts an “unreasonable burden onto users” and the change “disproportionately impacts those most vulnerable to long-term, cumulative harm.”
The letter points to independent research highlighting the limitations of community-focused models, such as those used by Elon Musk’s X, which leave “harmful misinformation unchecked” when it comes to “polarizing issues.” Certain groups, such as women, LGBTQIA+ communities, and immigrants, are particularly affected by online abuse, according to the letter, and Meta’s recent changes risk “eroding hard-won safeguards that ensure users feel safe and included in online social environments.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recent changes are politically motivated. During a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Podcast, he said there’s “no good time” to transition to a community-driven moderation model and denied it’s “a purely political thing.”
But the CEO did make several politically charged statements on the three-hour show, comparing censorship of the company’s platform by the previous Biden administration to 1984, a classic book about a man living in an authoritarian regime.
The council recommended several measures to Meta, including strengthening relations with “youth-serving organizations, mental health services, helplines, ‘trusted flaggers” and other third parties that provide “critical independent infrastructure.”
On a Wednesday earnings call, Zuckerberg also said 2025 will be “a big year for redefining our relationship with governments. We now have a US administration that is proud of our leading companies, prioritizes American technology winning, and that will defend our values and interests abroad. And I’m optimistic about the progress and innovation this is can unlock.”
Last week, Zuckerberg said in an internal memo he was set to lay off 5% of the company, or about 3,600 people. “I want to make sure we have the best people on our teams,” he said.
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