Meta Will Stop “Fact-Checking” on Facebook, Instagram

Social Media, ,

On Tuesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the social media company would stop “fact-checking” on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta introduced “fact-checking” several years ago as a way to combat lies and misinformation online. However, Facebook fact-checkers have been accused of censoring unpopular opinions and squelching legitimate speech. For example, last year, Zuckerberg wrote a letter to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee saying the Biden Administration “pressured” his teams to censor content related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a video posted Tuesday, Zuckerberg said, “We’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much censorship. . . . The fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created.”

Zuckerberg said Facebook would replace “fact-checking” with a community notes system similar to X’s that would let users flag content that may be inappropriate or misleading.

Zuckerberg also said the social media platforms would eliminate restrictions on topics such as immigration and gender “that are just out of touch with mainstream discourse.”

Facebook’s decision to eliminate “fact-checking” sounds like a step in the right direction. In 2021 Facebook disabled Family Council’s advertising account with virtually no notice or explanation.

From time to time we use our Facebook ad account to advertise the stories and videos that we share on social media to make sure that people see them.

Facebook’s cancellation email indicated that we had violated its Unacceptable Business Practices Policy, but did not say exactly what we did wrong. We could not find anything on our Facebook page that ran afoul of that policy.

We appealed Facebook’s decision to cancel our advertising account. After a few days, Facebook sent us another terse email saying our advertising account had been reinstated.

We asked Facebook for an explanation outlining why our account had been disabled in the first place. But we never received any more information. To this day, we aren’t sure what we did that Facebook felt ran afoul of their advertising standards. But coincidentally, Facebook’s cancellation email arrived shortly after we tried to pay to promote a video about about inappropriate material at the Jonesboro Public Library. We’ve always assumed that video had something do with Facebook suspending our advertising account.

Facebook may be taking a step in the right direction, but tech companies still seem to have virtually no accountability when it comes to promoting or suppressing free speech. With that in mind, it’s important for Christians not to depend solely on social media for news and information.

That’s why we encourage all of our friends and supporters to join our mailing list. We send regular update letters and emails filled with information about current events in Arkansas. It’s completely free to sign up.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Costco Refuses to Reevaluate DEI Program Despite Backlash, Changes at Other Major Corporations

LGBT,

Corporate giant Costco reportedly has opted not to reevaluate its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies despite backlash and changes at other major corporations.

Many companies established DEI goals a few years ago to create an equal playing field for racial and ethnic minorities, but it did not take long for LGBT groups to hijack those corporate programs. Today, DEI tends to promote divisive ideologies, and it has become a tool the LGBT movement uses to promote gender-identity politics in the workplace. Employees who hold a biblical view of gender risk their jobs.

Backlash and boycotts over DEI and pro-LGBT activism have prompted many companies to change course.

In November, Walmart rolled back its pro-LGBT diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. Toyota, John Deere, Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, Harley Davidson, and other corporations have moved away from DEI as well.

However, The Hill reports Costco’s board of directors recently rejected a proposal to reevaluate and retire the company’s DEI programs. The board has urged shareholders to continue supporting DEI at Costco.

As we have said many times, it is deeply troubling when multimillion dollar corporations use their wealth and influence to promote radical, pro-LGBT ideas. It’s also encouraging when companies like Walmart or Lowe’s rethink their positions and change course.

It’s clear that DEI is unpopular among Americans, and customers are tired of pro-LGBT pandering from the stores where they shop. Costco — and other corporations like them — would be wise to recognize that and stop promoting an agenda that is out of step with most Americans.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Health Experts Warn Marijuana Concentrates Hurt Teens

Marijuana

The Wall Street Journal recently reported how teens are experiencing serious health complications from “dabbing” potent marijuana extracts, writing,

Heidi Lawrence’s daughter was 14 when she began dabbing—heating and inhaling the fumes from powerful globs of marijuana extract. By 15, the girl couldn’t resist the quick, intense highs and was dabbing every half-hour from school bathrooms to her bedroom.

Smoking the potent cannabis concentrates “has almost broken her brain,” said Lawrence, of Longmont, Colorado . . .

Now 17 years old, Lawrence’s daughter has been hospitalized and sent to inpatient rehabilitation programs several times for cannabis addiction and mental-health problems.

Dabbing involves inhaling vapors from marijuana concentrates that contain high levels of THC, the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. The Wall Street Journal points out that experts are very concerned about dabbing’s effects on teens, noting,

Health authorities are sounding the alarm, warning that dabbing could addict users and is sending teenagers to emergency rooms with seizures, cyclical vomiting or psychosis.

Researchers repeatedly have found that marijuana is harmful — especially to children, teens, and young adults.

Heavy marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. This is particularly true for children and teens who are already at risk for these conditions.

Nationwide, marijuana products such as gummies, candies, and other edibles containing THC are sending kids to the emergency room.

And regular marijuana use is linked to a higher risks of certain cancers, birth defects, heart attack, and stroke.

Marijuana industry insiders have tried repeatedly to expand marijuana in Arkansas. But it’s important for Arkansans to understand: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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