Social media allows information to reach millions of people within minutes, but false or misleading claims can spread just as rapidly. Platforms must therefore balance reducing harmful misinformation with protecting users’ ability to express opinions, discuss controversial issues, and make mistakes. Meta and TikTok, two of the largest platforms, have adopted different strategies. In the United States, Meta has moved toward a community-based approach, whereas TikTok continues to use platform moderation, independent factchecking, warning labels, and limits on recommendations. Each strategy has benefits, but neither fully resolves the challenge of misinformation.
Meta: Moving from Fact-Checkers to Community Notes
One of the biggest recent changes in social media moderation came from Meta’s Community Notes program. In April 2025, Meta ended its U.S. third-party fact-checking program and introduced Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Users can write and rate notes, which appear publicly only after contributors with differing perspectives agree on them.
Misinformation can be difficult to identify, particularly on controversial topics. Presenting diverse viewpoints may help limit centralized control, enhance transparency, and enable users to form their own opinions. However, Community Notes also introduces a significant limitation. Under Meta’s current approach, a post that receives a Community Note is not automatically subject to reduced distribution. Meta states that such posts are not penalized in the same manner as content previously reviewed by fact-checkers. Although the note provides additional context, the original content may continue to be distributed and shared.
That concerns me because misinformation spreads quickly on social media. A misleading post could attract thousands of views before enough contributors assess it and reach agreement on a note. By the time accurate context is added, some users may have already believed or shared the original claim.
Meta could strengthen Community Notes without abandoning the system. For instance, posts that receive many requests for a note could temporarily display a message explaining that additional context is under review. This would not require Meta to label the post as false; it would simply encourage users to pause and verify the information before sharing it.
TikTok: Moderation and Limiting Recommendations
TikTok’s current Community Guidelines take a different approach. TikTok prohibits misinformation that could cause significant harm to individuals or society. Its guidelines address several categories, including harmful misinformation, civic information, manipulated or AI-generated media, and deceptive behavior. Content that violates these standards may be removed.
TikTok also uses recommendation restrictions as an enforcement measure. Content does not necessarily need to be removed to be excluded from the For You feed. According to the company, content that fails to meet its For You Feed eligibility standards will not be recommended through that channel. The distinction matters because TikTok’s For You feed is a major discovery tool. Its recommendation system uses users’ past interactions to predict content they may enjoy, applies safeguards, and reviews rapidly popular posts. For more information, see TikTok’s explanation of the For You feed.
TikTok’s harmful misinformation guidance further explains that harmful misinformation about topics such as health, elections, and climate change may be removed or excluded from recommendations. The platform also provides informational tools to help users evaluate questionable content.
Limiting a post’s reach may be more practical than leaving it unchanged or deleting it. While information is under review, TikTok could reduce its distribution to limit exposure to potentially misleading content.
However, users may not understand why content is removed, labeled, or restricted. TikTok could improve transparency by providing clearer explanations and links to credible information.
Which Approaches Actually Address the Problem?
The comparison between Meta and TikTok shows that combating misinformation requires more than deleting false posts. Meta relies on user-generated context through Community Notes, while TikTok gives the platform greater control over removing content and limiting its algorithmic reach.
Neither approach is fully effective. Community Notes require sufficient user agreement, while TikTok’s system depends on technology, moderators, experts, and policies applied across vast amounts of content. Because users may share unverified, outdated, or misleading claims, platform policies must be supported by stronger media literacy.
What Should Improve?
Rather than relying on a single method, platforms should implement a combination of strategies. Meta could retain Community Notes while introducing temporary context warnings for rapidly spreading posts pending review. TikTok could offer more detailed explanations regarding why potentially misleading content is not recommended. Both platforms could also increase the visibility of credible sources and implement stronger prompts encouraging users to verify questionable claims before reposting them.
The emergence of AI-generated content further underscores the need for these systems to evolve. TikTok’s guidelines require labels for AI-generated or edited content that realistically depicts people or scenes, while certain forms of deceptive AI-generated content are prohibited. As generative AI continues to advance, platforms will need to ensure that these labels are clear, prominent, and readily understandable to users.
Ultimately, misinformation cannot be addressed through post removal alone. Platforms should combine moderation, transparency, context, responsible algorithms, and user judgment. Meta’s Community Notes emphasizes user input, while TikTok relies more on direct moderation. An effective strategy may use both approaches: provide context and limit algorithmic amplification until claims can be verified.
Sources
Meta ends fact-checking programs, experts discuss motivations, consequences.
Meta. “Testing Begins for Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.”
TikTok. “Community Guidelines.”