Brussels, 8 January 2025
The coordinator of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group in the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee, MEP Assita Kanko, has wholeheartedly welcomed the landmark announcement by Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg to overhaul content moderation on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
In a public video message, Zuckerberg acknowledged that the current system of fact-checking has been undermined by political bias and has eroded trust rather than built it. The changes, inspired by the self-moderation model used by Elon Musk’s platform X, will allow users in the US to take more control over the moderation of online content.
Kanko said: “Freedom of speech is a precious asset. Meta has recognised the deep flaws in the current content moderation system, which is plagued by political bias and a worrying erosion of public trust. Mark Zuckerberg’s decision is a decisive break from top-down censorship and empowers individuals to take ownership of the online conversation.
“Censorship works even when it is only considered as a possibility. We in the ECR Group now look forward to seeing how the European Commission will respond to the changes announced for the US. Moving to a user-driven model is the right way to promote transparency, accountability and the most important principle of all: the right to speak freely. The commission should carefully look at this and update existing legislation.
“We believe in the power of open dialogue and reject the notion that anyone, state or company, should have the power to silence or dictate what is said. In Europe, we know that the future of democracy depends on the ability of individuals to express themselves freely without fear of censorship or manipulation.”
The ECR Group has always been committed to safeguarding freedom of expression and promoting open debate. Kanko stressed that these principles must remain at the forefront of European policy-making as digital platforms evolve.
Source – ECR Group (by email)