Meta now accepts verified membership of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) as fulfilling a prerequisite for joining Meta’s Third Party Fact-Checking Programme for Europe-based fact-checking organisations.
Verified EFCSN members have committed to the standards of independence, transparency, and journalistic quality outlined in the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations. To become verified members, fact-checking organisations undergo a rigorous evaluation process by external assessors who are experts in the field of disinformation, fact-checking and/or journalism as well as in the specific country or region where applicant organisations are located, ensuring the compliance with the standards.
The Third Party Fact-Checking Programme is a global program with nearly 100 organisations fact-checking in more than 60 languages wherein independent fact-checkers review and rate the accuracy of stories on Meta’s platforms. When fact-checkers mark a story as false, Meta reduces the circulation of the content, helping to reduce misinformation on its platforms.
Chair of the EFCSN, Carlos Hernández-Echevarría said, “This is another example of how the EFCSN standards are a guarantee of high quality fact-checking, produced by transparent, independent, extremely professional organisations. The fact that the European fact-checking community has made this possible in such a short time really speaks to their commitment to contributing toward making Europeans more resilient against disinformation.”
