2. Platform Accountability Mark Zuckerberg’s January 7, 2025 announcement that Meta would cancel its third-party fact-checking programs32, has raised concerns that the move will fuel disinformation and propaganda while further shrinking the space for verified facts. Meta has partnered with third-party fact-checking initiatives that are members of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) since 201633. According to Zuckerberg’s announcement, these programs will be replaced with Community Notes, similar to the feature used by X (formerly Twitter), where users provide additional context on content considered to be disinformation or misinformation34. In the announcement, Zuckerberg claimed that fact-checkers had proved to be “biased” in how they selected content to moderate35. He further stated that he wanted to ensure “free speech” across all platforms under Meta, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads36. The announcement has widely been viewed as evidence of Meta’s tilt toward the Trump administration’s right-wing ideology37, especially given the swift changes to several company policies following Zuckerberg’s private meeting with Trump in 202438. Zuckerberg was also seen interacting frequently with the U.S. president throughout 2025. Following the announcement, the initiative still had not been rolled out in Southeast Asia as of 2025. The third-party fact-checking program was set to be replaced with Community Notes, similar to the system used by X (formerly Twitter), raising doubts about how effective it would be in tackling disinformation and propaganda39, 40. According to a statement McMahon, Liv, et al. “Meta to Replace ‘Biased’ Fact-Checkers with Moderation by Users.” BBC News, 8 Jan. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly74mpy8klo. 33. Jamieson, Amber, and Olivia Solon. “Facebook to Begin Flagging Fake News in Response to Mounting Criticism.” The Guardian, 15 Dec. 2016, www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/15/facebookflag-fake-news-fact-check. 34. Kablan, Joel. “More Speech and Fewer Mistakes.” Meta, 7 Jan 2025, about.fb.com/news/2025/01/ meta-more-speech-fewer-mistakes. 35. Ibid. 36. Ibid. 37. Montgomery, Blake. “Why Did Mark Zuckerberg End Facebook and Instagram’s Factchecking Program?” The Guardian, 7 Jan. 2025, www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/07/why-did-mark-zuckerbergend-facebook-instagram-fact-checking. 38. Isaac, Mike, et al. “Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s Sprint to Remake Meta for the Trump Era.” The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/technology/meta-mark-zuckerberg-trump.html. 39. Borenstein, Nadav, et al. “Can Community Notes Replace Professional Fact-Checkers?” arXiv, 19 Feb. 2025, arxiv.org/html/2502.14132v1. 40. Derhgawen, Shubhangi. “Fact Check: Are X’s Community Notes Fueling Misinformation?” DW, 5 Aug. 2025, www.dw.com/en/fact-check-are-xs-community-notes-fixing-or-fueling-misinformation/a-73315972. 32. 15