Meta’s Policy Shift Makes Brands Enter New Era
Published on March 27, 2025, at 10:34 a.m.
by Reese Ham.
In January 2025, Mark Zuckerberg’s company, Meta Inc., announced major changes to its social media platforms. This shift in Meta’s media moderation introduced many nuances to the already sometimes difficult-to-navigate social media realm, leaving users of its platforms with unanswered, burning questions.
Meta’s policy changes started with some distinct changes to make its platforms more conducive to “free expression.” Zuckerberg outlined the numerous changes Meta will be making, the two most notable being the removal of fact-checking — subbing it out for community notes — and the reduction of monitoring controversial topics.
Making the transition to community notes
In lieu of fact-checkers for content posted on Instagram, Facebook and other Meta-owned platforms, community notes sections will be introduced. The purpose of the community notes section is to provide all users the opportunity to correct and critique information online that they find potentially false or misleading.
Dr. A.J. Bauer, an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media at The University of Alabama, stated that in some instances “the community note approach wouldn’t be fact-checking necessarily; it would be adding additional context” — highlighting the pitfalls and opinion-based foundation of this system. Bauer noted that in implementing the community notes method, false information has the ability to spread rapidly.
Similarly, Allison Carter, editor-in-chief of PR Daily at Ragan Communications, asserted that the content on social media platforms of this size cannot accurately be fact-checked due to the sheer scale of the institution.
Meta argued that its fact-checking system had become biased, leading to “a program intended to inform [but] too often became a tool to censor.”
Carter brought to light that no form of fact-checking is without bias. “I don’t think third-party fact-checkers are infallible, but I do think community notes also raise a number of questions,” she said.
Positioning of social media posts
Meta’s announcement is a game changer for every user on its platforms — especially businesses. Now more than ever, brands need to strategize about where they want their content to show up as well as the part they want their content to play on Meta’s social media sites.
Bauer mentioned that businesses may find their social media content paired next to hate speech or other disturbing online content. He highlighted the comparison of X’s algorithm, regarding hate speech and fact-checking, to the transition Meta is making now and how highly contentious this transition is destined to be.
After outlining the effects X’s platform has had on brands posting on its platform, Bauer stated that these platforms are not “necessarily a comfortable space for advertisers.”
Carter had a similar sentiment, distinguishing that, with organic content, the publisher may not be able to control the positioning of their posts, leaving room for brands’ social media posts to be partnered with unfavorable content.
On the other hand, social media platforms, like Meta’s, make their money by selling advertising on their sites, creating an interesting dynamic between Meta and the advertisers it wants to attract.
Bauer noted that Meta is causing tension for itself. Meta, like any company, wants to make money, but because of its new policies, advertisers may be hesitant to buy that space. He said that “[Zuckerberg] is harming his ability to garner advertising dollars from respectable companies.”
Being proactive
So what can brands do to protect themselves against obscenities in this shifting media space? A January 2025 PR Daily article cautions brands to be proactive and truthful about the happenings of the businesses on Meta’s platforms, prepare for any crisis, and track changing policies across every social media site.
Carter emphasized the importance of brands watching their pages for engagements that do not align with a brand’s image. “Media monitoring is really crucial. It’s more nuanced than the X viewpoint, but it’s still complicated and brands do need to be careful, and just the best thing to do is to monitor, monitor, monitor,” advised Carter.
Not only do businesses need to keep an eye out for what consumers are commenting or tagging them in, but businesses need to take charge like never before in promoting what is true about their brands.
What now?
Meta created waves when it announced its new policy changes regarding fact-checking and free expression, opening the door for every individual to speculate about how they may affect users but also Meta as a whole.
“I don’t think that this is ultimately even a win-win for Meta,” said Bauer. “I think it’s Meta being strategic in navigating a complex political, ideological environment.”
What are the implications and consequences of Meta’s policy changes for businesses that post on Meta’s platforms? There are no definitive answers yet — all brands can do is to stay attentive in every aspect, protecting and projecting businesses in ways that are both factually accurate and truthful to their brands.
