Published on: January 20, 2025 / Update from: January 20, 2025 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Opinion and discussion contribution: Community notes instead of fact checks – include users with different perspectives – Image: Xpert.Digital
Meta and X: How the new community moderation model is changing platforms
Meta is watching X: Why the Community Notes system is replacing classic fact checks
The announcement that Meta (the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads) wants to introduce a new “Community Notes” system has sparked widespread discussion. Instead of classic fact checks, this system is intended to help moderate content spread on the platforms through the active participation of the user community. Interestingly, Meta is based on a similar model that is already used on Elon Musk's Platform X (formerly Twitter). However, there is one key difference: With Meta, Community Notes are not applied to paid ads, but only to organic posts. This approach and the possible consequences raise numerous questions that go beyond the pure moderation aspect. Below you will find a detailed description of the concept, the background, how it works, as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with the introduction of this function.
Suitable for:
1. Background and motivation for “Community Notes”
From fact checks to community approaches
For years, Meta has been increasingly confronted with accusations that disinformation, false reports and misleading content are being widely disseminated via its own platforms. “Fact checks” by external organizations have long been a central tool for counteracting this problem. However, the use of such fact checks has often led to controversy in the past. The main criticism was that those organizations were not always impartial or that they prioritized certain topics while neglecting others. Furthermore, these centralized mechanisms could not fully cover the immense volume of posts on the platforms.
“Community Notes” therefore represent a new approach to placing the task of content moderation and evaluation more in the hands of the user community. Meta hopes that this will achieve broader acceptance and a quicker assessment of whether content is potentially problematic or misleading. In the words of Meta: “We want to rely more on our roots of free expression and empower people on our platforms.”
Inspiration from X (formerly Twitter)
It is no coincidence that Meta's “Community Notes” are very reminiscent of the existing system on X. Elon Musk had already announced when he took over Twitter that he wanted to control content less centrally. Instead, users should be more involved in the process of identifying and flagging questionable content. “We want people to bring in their different perspectives and work together to ensure more transparency,” was one of the early statements in this context.
Even if the respective technical details differ, the basic principle is similar: Users rate contributions and mark them as helpful, ambiguous or misleading according to common criteria. However, Meta's system has the same name - "Community Notes" - and relies on comparable evaluation mechanisms. This ensures a certain level of recognition, but also raises the question of whether Meta is simply copying an already known concept or whether real innovation can be expected.
Moving away from the classic fact check
Until now, Meta in the USA used various fact-checking partners who viewed and analyzed suspicious content. However, this model increasingly reached its limits: classic fact checks were often only able to respond with a delay to very quickly growing trends in social media. In addition, the acceptance of external testing organizations was not particularly high among parts of the user population because the neutrality of these organizations was questioned. The model was also complex from a business perspective, as it required regular coordination with partners and financial resources.
With “Community Notes”, Meta would like to act more cost-effectively and cover a wide range of contributions by encouraging the user base itself to participate. At the same time, the user is required to actively engage with the content instead of simply accepting someone else's review. According to Meta, this change in perspective promises greater overall credibility and greater community involvement.
2. What exactly are “Community Notes”?
Basic principle
“Community Notes” are short explanations, comments or corrections made by members of the Platform when they feel that a post is misleading or requires additional background information. This can be a simple clarification, such as: “This article contains figures that have been refuted in recent studies,” or more detailed information, such as: “This article may be out of date as new developments have occurred.”
The idea is that multiple users can formulate their assessments independently of each other. Other community members then rate these comments as “helpful” or “not helpful.” A comment that receives particularly high and diverse support from different user groups ultimately receives visibility directly below the post in question. This creates a kind of decentralized, collaborative fact-checking that is not controlled by a single institution.
Different perspectives and consensus building
A central feature of the “Community Notes” is that they consciously try to include users with different perspectives. Meta hopes that a consensus will be found in this way that is not only valid within a certain “echo chamber”.
In the past, rifts have repeatedly emerged between different user groups, which led to politically or ideologically colored disputes. “Community Notes” are intended to partially bridge these gaps using an algorithmic system by only prominently highlighting those comments that a wide range of reviews rate positively.
This approach is intended to reduce the risk that only one side retains sovereignty over certain topics. At the same time, however, it remains unclear to what extent cultural or linguistic differences are taken into account. Especially on global platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, the perception of a post could vary greatly depending on the region.
Differentiation from paid advertisements
The fact that “Community Notes” are not intended to be used for paid advertisements is currently attracting a lot of attention. “We want Community Notes to complement organic content, not influence the advertising industry,” says Meta.
This distinction leads to criticism because many people see advertisements and sponsored posts as a major driver of possible misleading. Brands, lobbying associations or political actors could continue to run ads freely without decentralized community review. In this respect, this raises the question of how transparent or comprehensive the model is if essential areas of the platforms are excluded.
3. The launch schedule and platforms
Planned launch in the USA
According to Meta, “Community Notes” will initially be tested in the USA. This test period should last several months before possible expansion to other countries. The company emphasizes that adjustments can still be made during this testing phase, depending on user feedback and the technical challenges that arise.
The decision to start in the USA is understandable. On the one hand, Meta has its largest market there, and on the other hand, political and social discussions in the USA are particularly heated. The hope is to gain as much insight as possible from this highly polarized environment in order to optimize the system for other countries in later phases.
Facebook, Instagram and Threads
Meta intends to integrate “Community Notes” on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The company thus covers a large part of the global social media market. “Threads”, the relatively young network, in particular could benefit from consolidating an innovation-oriented reputation.
On Facebook, with its billions of users, the system is expected to be widely applicable. A variety of different types of posts are shared here, from personal updates to news topics to political campaigns. Instagram, on the other hand, is heavily image and video heavy; there, adding annotations to visual content could open up new opportunities to critically engage with images.
Integration and ease of use
One of the crucial factors for the success of “Community Notes” is its integration into the respective platform. Requiring users to take additional steps to read or post comments could significantly reduce participation. Meta therefore plans to make the process as seamless as possible: a press of a button or a tap of the finger should be enough to add or rate a note.
In addition, users who have already interacted with a post should receive a notification as soon as a “Community Note” has been published. This ensures that corrections or contextual information do not go unnoticed. The challenge is not to overwhelm users. A flood of notifications can quickly lead to them being simply ignored.
4. Organic posts versus paid advertising
Why this distinction?
“Community Notes” are only introduced for organic content, i.e. for contributions whose distribution is not supported by financial resources. Meta justifies this by saying that paid advertisements are already subject to strict internal controls before they are published. In addition, mechanisms already exist to label advertising.
However, critics note that consistent involvement of the community would also make sense in the advertising environment. Ads often have an extremely high reach, and if they contain false information, the damage can be serious. It is feared that companies or political actors may specifically use advertisements to protect themselves from critical comments from the community.
Impact on brands and influencers
A particularly exciting aspect concerns brand communication and influencers. Many influencers don't run traditional ads, but they do post sponsored content, product placement or paid collaborations. It is not always clear whether these types of posts are considered “organic” or fall into the “paid content” category.
A gray area could arise here in which certain contributions may have an advertising character but are not officially advertised and are therefore recorded in “community notes”. This will likely lead to discussions about how such content should be properly labeled and handled. The extent to which Meta creates clear guidelines here is not yet known.
Discussion in the advertising industry
There is already a heated debate in advertising circles as to whether the introduction of “Community Notes” requires new strategies. Companies may find it more difficult to showcase their brand in a controlled environment if users unexpectedly add comments about products, statements or campaigns. This can lead to a completely new dynamic in which a brand's image is no longer shaped solely by official communication, but also by the collective opinion of the community.
At the same time, brands that operate very transparently and promote an open culture of discussion could benefit from “Community Notes”. By allowing factual corrections or providing additional information where appropriate, they can gain credibility. What is interesting in this context is that younger target groups in particular often value authenticity and are more likely to identify with brands that respond credibly to criticism.
5. Political content and long-term strategy
The role of political communication
Political actors are increasingly using social media as a main platform to spread their messages. Paid ads and organic posts play an equally important role in election campaigns. Meta’s decision not to apply “Community Notes” to political ads therefore has consequences for political discourse.
Opponents of “Community Notes” in a political context fear that key disinformation tactics via advertisements will remain effective. Proponents, on the other hand, see it as positive that a more open climate could prevail in organic debates in which questionable statements are quickly contextualized or refuted by the community. However, it remains questionable how effective “Community Notes” are against very professional and well-financed disinformation campaigns that rely on placing ads.
Major restructuring in handling content
The introduction of “Community Notes” is part of a larger restructuring in the way we handle content. Meta has long been experimenting with new formats, algorithms and guidelines that control the visibility of posts. There are efforts to reduce political content overall and to focus more on personal interactions.
“We are trying to make social networks more social again by putting family and friends at the forefront,” commented a spokesperson for Meta. This trend could mean that political actors and media partners will have to think of new ways to achieve the same reach as before.
Long-term consequences for users
From the user’s perspective, the introduction of “Community Notes” can be evaluated very differently depending on their personal usage behavior. Anyone who uses the platforms primarily for private purposes might be happy about the new function because it promises more transparency and context. However, anyone who primarily interacts with political or controversial content must be prepared for the debate culture to become more complex.
The responsibility of individual users also increases, because everyone can influence the public perception of a topic with a small comment. The same applies in the opposite direction: those who make unfounded or biased comments risk being labeled as “unhelpful” by the rest of the community.
6. How “Community Notes” works in detail
Creation of notes
In order to write a “Community Note”, users must meet certain requirements. This often includes a certain minimum age of the account, a good interaction history with no recent rule violations and, in some cases, a willingness to take part in an introductory program.
Once these hurdles are overcome, users can create Notes by selecting the appropriate option under a post. The text of the note is usually reduced to a limited number of characters so that it remains compact. Detailed treatises are not intended as they could impair readability.
Rating by the community
Once a grade has been written, it is not initially visible to the general public, but is listed internally. Other people who also have the right to create notes can now provide feedback. They rate the grade as “helpful” or “not helpful,” often with a little comment about why they make that decision.
The real highlight is that the system relies on as diverse a cross-section of reviews as possible. A grade that is only considered good by a very homogeneous user group is sometimes not published. Only when users with different perspectives agree with the content does the chance of the grade appearing prominently under the post increase. This is intended to prevent ideological groups from systematically upvoting Notes and manipulating the platform in their favor.
Publishing and Notifications
If a note is deemed helpful by enough different users, it will appear below the post. A short icon or a special marking can also signal that this post has received a “community note”. Users who have liked, commented or shared the post may be informed that a new grade is available to give them the opportunity to reconsider their original assessment.
Meta hopes this will lead to self-regulation: anyone who shares a misleading post could later receive a notification that new contextual information is available and might then retract or correct the post. The future will show whether this will prove successful in practice.
Anonymity and protection of contributors
One of the sensitive points is the protection of users who write notes. “Community Notes” are published in anonymized form so that you cannot directly see who is behind a particular comment. This has the advantage that reprisals or personal attacks against the authors of the note are made more difficult.
However, anonymity also carries the risk that individuals may be tempted to make ill-considered or offensive statements. However, the rating system comes into play here, and many such notes will not even be activated if they are not constructive or provide trustworthy information. In the long term, a core of committed users could emerge who have a good reputation in the community and whose grades are weighted accordingly higher.
Continuous improvement
Meta plans to continually expand Community Notes. Feedback loops in which users can give feedback on which functionalities are missing or which aspects are too complicated should be continuously evaluated. The algorithms that decide which notes become visible to the general public can also be adjusted.
It is conceivable that multimedia annotations will also be possible in the future, such as short videos or images that illustrate an issue. Meta could also integrate tools that help with research, such as automatic keyword searches in reliable information sources. However, whether and when such features become a reality depends on numerous factors, including data protection regulations and technical feasibility.
7. Opportunities and benefits of “Community Notes”
Decentralization and breadth
A key advantage is decentralization. While classic fact checks are only carried out by a small team or organization, “community notes” can in principle involve millions of people. This enables significantly greater coverage of posts on the platforms.
The broad participation means that a wide variety of perspectives are taken into account. This can lead to balance as the evaluation does not depend on a single gatekeeper. Especially in times when mistrust of central authorities is growing, this could be an important signal for more openness and participation.
Speed and timeliness
Social media is fast-moving. Trends often come and go within a few hours or days. A centralized fact-checking system often cannot keep up. “Community Notes,” on the other hand, benefit from the collective reaction speed of many users. If a tweet, post or image goes viral, a large number of comments can be quickly created and rated as long as there are enough active contributors online.
This speed aspect is particularly crucial when it comes to breaking news or false reports that spread rapidly. A timely Community Note could prevent many users from spreading the misinformation by providing context or highlighting inconsistencies.
Promoting media literacy
An aspect that should not be underestimated is the promotion of media literacy. When people actively participate in “Community Notes”, they inevitably engage with the content, its credibility and researching facts. You will learn why certain claims are dubious and what evidence could indicate manipulation.
This learning effect can have a positive effect on the general level of discussion culture. As users learn to question things more critically and submit well-founded arguments, the overall quality of contributions on the platforms increases. Those who do not write notes themselves, but read the debates and thereby develop a better understanding, also benefit.
8. Challenges and criticism
Manipulation and trolls
A decentralized approach is also vulnerable to manipulation. Organized groups could try to infiltrate the system by colluding and systematically upgrading or downgrading contributions or notes. If these groups are large enough or strategize skillfully, they could gain influence that leads to bias.
Meta wants to address this problem with algorithms that are designed to recognize suspected coordinated actions. In addition, a certain degree of heterogeneity in the assessments (different interests, backgrounds, political leanings) might be required for a grade to be visible at all. Whether this is enough to prevent troll armies and “brigading” remains an open question.
Lack of technical examination
Critics complain that “Community Notes” offer no guarantee that the content is actually correct. While professional fact checkers have journalistic training and often work methodically cleanly, anyone can participate in Community Notes as long as they meet certain basic requirements. This raises concerns that untruths could become established as “majority opinion” if enough users find them plausible.
For this reason, Meta itself warns against viewing “Community Notes” as the sole source of truth. “We see ourselves as a platform that facilitates discourse, but we do not give any guarantees regarding content,” is a statement from the company. For complex topics that require specialized expertise, it remains questionable how reliable broad coordination can be.
Borderless platforms versus local context
Meta operates globally. The same topic can be viewed differently in different countries, be it due to cultural differences or varying legal situations. If Community Notes are rolled out internationally, it could lead to confusion as some users view certain content as harmless while others view it as problematic.
The language barrier is another factor: Community Notes in one language are hardly usable for people who do not speak that language. Automatic translations can also lead to misunderstandings. Therefore, it will be a challenge to ensure that the system works smoothly worldwide and enables fair assessments.
Reduced control over brand messages
Brands and companies are used to largely controlling their communication themselves. “Community Notes” is an additional entity that can contextualize or correct a company’s statements. This can have positive effects by creating more transparency and clearing up misunderstandings more quickly. But it also increases the risk that communication strategies will be thrown into disarray.
Especially in crisis situations, a brand that is already under criticism could find a flood of critical comments among its posts within a very short time. This directly influences public perception without the company being able to react to it in a timely manner. Professional crisis management can therefore no longer just rely on press releases or company statements, but must also include the dynamics of “community notes”.
9. Outlook and possible developments
Expansion to other countries
If testing in the US is successful, Meta plans to make “Community Notes” available in additional regions. However, the rollout in Europe could be more complex, as data protection regulations are stricter and Meta is under the watchful eye of European regulators. Companies already have to carefully check with every major update of their content moderation mechanisms whether they comply with national and EU-wide requirements.
Collaboration with governments and institutions
It is conceivable that in the long term Meta will cooperate with public institutions or universities to refine “community notes”. For example, universities could provide background information on certain topics that helps users evaluate contributions. Official authorities could also use interfaces to provide real-time indications of misinformation.
However, this is in tension with the basic idea of decentralization. Too close cooperation with government agencies or institutions could give the impression that the system is controlled from above. The challenge will be to find a balance between professional input and the self-determined community.
Technical innovations and AI
Another line of development could be the increased use of artificial intelligence. Social networks already use algorithms to identify problematic content. In the future, AI systems could analyze the “community notes” and support users in creating them. For example, an AI could provide suggestions as to which sources might be relevant, or even automatically make an initial assessment of the credibility of a post.
But here too there are concerns. The AI could make mistakes, be biased, or rely too heavily on certain data sets. It will therefore remain important that human judgment is in the foreground and that artificial intelligence takes on more of an auxiliary function.
Sustainable change in the culture of discussion
Ultimately, Community Notes could help change the way we communicate on social media. Instead of passively consuming content, users are encouraged to reflect critically and actively participate. The transition from pure consumers to co-creators could have a positive effect on the culture of discussion.
However, it is still unclear whether the system will actually become established in the long term and whether users will accept it sufficiently. A lot will depend on how Meta handles cases of abuse, how the company designs user experience, and what incentives are created to get enough people involved. If a fair and transparent process can be established, “Community Notes” could become a core component of many social networks in the future.
The planned introduction of “Community Notes” at Meta marks a turning point in the social media landscape
By moving away from classic, centralized fact checks towards decentralized, community-based moderation, Meta is taking a bold step. “Community Notes” are intended to ensure greater transparency, curb the spread of misinformation and give users the opportunity to actively contribute to the quality of the content.
However, the fact that this system is not applied to paid advertisements is causing controversy. Critics fear that there is a great need for additional control there. Brands, influencers and advertisers are watching the developments with mixed feelings as the line between organic and sponsored content is sometimes blurring. Political actors and interest groups, in turn, see “Community Notes” as another instrument that could change their scope of action on social media platforms – in which direction remains to be seen.
Technically speaking, “Community Notes” brings with it an exciting interplay of crowdsourcing, algorithmic evaluation and anonymity. However, the question arises as to how resistant the system is to manipulation and whether it delivers reliable results in highly sensitive subject areas. Particularly in complex issues that require extensive research, there remains a certain risk that the majority opinion does not necessarily correspond to the facts.
Nevertheless, “Community Notes” offer great potential for a more lively, transparent and participatory communication culture. If we can continuously improve systems and find a balance between community participation and quality assurance, this could be an important step in strengthening the credibility of content on social media. In addition, users can expand their media skills in this way, which would benefit society as a whole in the long term.
For Meta, Community Notes is not just a test, but potentially a blueprint for future social media features. Other platforms will monitor developments closely and may adopt similar or expanded concepts. Ultimately, the question will be whether the general user base will engage in this form of collective content moderation or whether the desire for professional, verified information will remain stronger.
In a digitalized world in which every post can be shared millions of times within seconds, a new understanding of responsibility is required. “Community Notes” can help distribute responsibility across the shoulders of many and thus find a balance between freedom of expression and protection against disinformation. The project is still in its early stages, but the coming months and years will show whether it can meet the high expectations.
With the introduction of “Community Notes”, Meta is taking a path that has the potential to fundamentally change the relationship between platform operators, users, advertisers and political actors. Whether this path actually leads to a fairer and more truthful culture of discussion is largely in the hands of the users themselves. One thing is clear: social media is entering a new phase in which community moderation is becoming an important pillar of digital interaction could become.
Suitable for: