science

the fact that fact-checking has become a point of contention (since the emergence of trump--coincidence? lol) illustrates just how far society has fallen.

the idea that fact-checking "infringes upon freedom of expression" is laughably absurd on many levels. for one thing: no, it fucking doesn't. you're free to lie through your teeth day in and day out. what is fact-checking doing to stop that? also, this position implies that your freedom of expression to tell lies outweighs my freedom of expression to call those lies lies? excuse me, but fuck that shit.

2 years ago i would have said i can't believe this article needed to be written (supposedly--equally likely generated), but today i'm not even surprised. fucking fact-checking is under attack, because of course it has to be.

also the claim that fact-checking "has no meaningful impact on the circulation of misinformation" is mind-bogglingly stupid. fact-checking is the ONLY thing that has ANY meaningful impact on the circulation of misinformation.

Yes, but the fact that it doesn't immediately solve all problems everywhere means that it's useless and we should instead just sling vitriol at each other and advocate for civil war and mass executions.

I give less shits every day about the "freedom" of allowing harm to others.

And Zuck's business RUNS on engagement. If fact check leads to less engagement as the article says, they are disincentivized of any reason to go forward with it. The danger of abusing "fact check" is very real. We pass a fact check law, and suddenly the US gives a billion to an Elon Musk startup "Fax Chex XxX" or whatever and it just labels stuff as woke and deletes anyone who says Trump is on the Epstein list.

Wohoo, 8%.

Pretty sure they could get it to 80% by just blocking a bunch of obviously fake news websites and taking down the accounts of those intentionally spreading them.

Is this about Twitter? Fuck Twitter. Is this about Facebook? Fuck Facebook.

Shall I continue?

There’s a big difference between actual fact-checking, and the “fact-checking” industry which is controlled by powerful interests to help sell their narrative.