Meta changes the location of their trust and safety team

Social media giant Meta announced on Tuesday that it will relocate its content reviewers and policy writers from California to Texas. This decision coincides with the company’s plan to terminate its independent fact-checking program, opting instead for a community notes-style system similar to that of platform X.In a blog post, Meta stated that its previous approach, which involved complex systems for content management on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, “has gone too far.” The company had relied on independent third-party fact-checkers but decided to end this program due to concerns about bias among experts and the excessive amount of content being scrutinized.

What Remains Unclear: Meta has not disclosed the specific location of the team in Texas. While the company has an office in Austin, it has not confirmed if the team will be based there. Open positions on its communications and public policy team are listed as Austin-based, suggesting a potential move

.Larger Context: Meta reported that it restricts millions of pieces of content daily and views this transition as a way to reduce “mission creep,” which they believe has led to overly restrictive enforcement. The new community notes moderation system is expected to be less biased, allowing users to provide context for potentially misleading posts. Additionally, Meta plans to relax restrictions on certain political speech that would have previously been flagged.

Next Steps: The company is inviting users to sign up as early community notes members for Facebook, Threads, and Instagram. The transition to this new system is set to begin in the U.S. within the next few months and will continue to evolve throughout the year.