Meta to Test Community Notes Starting March 18th
Meta will begin testing its new Community Notes feature on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in the US, starting March 18th. The feature will not be publicly published initially, as it will be used to test the writing and rating system.
How Community Notes Will Work
Community Notes will adopt X’s approach, allowing contributors to write and rate notes. The notes will not be published unless contributors with a range of viewpoints broadly agree on them. The company will also use X’s open-source algorithm for its rating system.
Background on Meta’s Fact-Checking Program
Meta first announced plans to replace its fact-checking program with Community Notes in January. The company stated that it would be "less prone to bias." Over 200,000 potential contributors have signed up for the waitlist. Not everyone will be able to write and rate Community Notes at launch, as the company will "gradually and randomly" admit contributors to the program.
Key Features of Community Notes
- Limit of 500 characters per note
- Notes must include a link backing them up
- No author names will be attached to notes initially
- Notes will be rated based on whether the context they add is helpful, not on who wrote them
- Contributors must be over 18, have an account in good standing over six months old, and have a verified phone number or two-factor authentication
- Initially, contributors will not be able to write notes on advertisements, but they can add them to "almost any other forms of content," such as posts from Meta and its executives, politicians, and more
- Community Notes will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, and Portuguese
Future Plans
Meta will still use its third-party fact-checking system outside the US, but plans to expand Community Notes globally in the future.
FAQs
Q: What is Community Notes?
A: Community Notes is a new feature that allows users to write and rate notes on various content, with the goal of providing a more nuanced understanding of the information.
Q: How does Community Notes work?
A: Community Notes uses X’s approach, allowing contributors to write and rate notes. The notes will not be published unless contributors with a range of viewpoints broadly agree on them.
Q: Who can contribute to Community Notes?
A: To contribute to Community Notes, users must be over 18, have an account in good standing over six months old, and have a verified phone number or two-factor authentication.
Q: What is the limit on notes?
A: Notes will have a limit of 500 characters.
Q: Will author names be attached to notes?
A: No, author names will not be attached to notes initially. Notes will be rated based on whether the context they add is helpful, not on who wrote them.
