Prince Harry and Meghan Markle slam Mark Zuckerberg over harmful Meta change: Allowing more abuse

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have taken aim at Mark Zuckerberg following Meta’s latest move to scrap fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex blasted the company’s latest policy changes and condemned the social media mogul for bidding farewell to the longstanding fact-checking program these platforms have used in previous years.“It doesn’t matter whether your views are left, right or somewhere in between — the latest news from Meta about changes to their policies directly undermines free speech,” the couple said in a statement published on their Archewell website.“This should deeply concern us all.”“Contrary to the company’s talking points, allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech serves to silence speech and expression, not foster it,” the pair went on, calling it a “harmful setback.”“In an already confusing and, in many instances, intentionally disruptive information environment, Meta has shown their words and commitments have very little meaning or integrity.”The duo, who are parents to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, said Zuckerberg’s latest move could have substantial global implications, particularly for those “still recovering from or actively suffering from” the negative effects of social media.Meta’s fact-checking program was initially introduced to combat the spread of misinformation on its platforms.Zuckerberg justified the decision to scrap it as part of a broader strategy to embrace “free expression,” describing the 2024 election as a “cultural tipping point” that necessitated the change.“It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression,” Zuckerberg said in his announcement.However, the Sussexes claim that the CEO’s decision goes “directly against [Meta’s] stated mission to ‘build human connection’ and instead prioritize those using the platforms to spread hate, lies and division at the expense of everyone else.”Harry, 40, and th...