Technologies

Meta Gets Called Out by Its Own Oversight Board Over Expanding Community Notes

A look into the way Meta handles moderation suggests Community Notes aren’t an effective substitute for the third-party fact-checking program it disbanded last year.

Meta’s week of bad news continued when its own oversight board released an assessment of the company’s plans to continue avoiding third-party fact-checking on its platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and replace it with Community Notes in countries outside of the US. The assessment was not positive.

Community Notes launched in early 2025 to replace dedicated fact-checkers with a user-generated system. According to the report, Meta’s plans to expand its beta program would have negative effects on the countries affected, including volatile misinformation that could sway elections, exacerbate global conflicts and contribute to human rights violations.

The company requested that the oversight board review its plans to expand Community Notes outside the US and determine whether some countries should be excluded. The board’s assessment is that the Community Notes program falls short in helping remove misinformation from Meta’s platforms.

«Delays in note publication, the limited number of published notes and its dependence on the broader information environment’s reliability raise serious doubts about the extent to which Community Notes can meaningfully address misinformation linked to harm,» the report says.

The issues with Community Notes, the assessment says, could be particularly dangerous in countries with repressive regimes, where elections could be swayed by misinformation, where there are coordinated disinformation networks, where language complexities can’t be handled by Meta’s technology, where there are obstacles to internet access, and where major conflicts are happening or there’s a danger of political violence. Those are places where the board recommends Meta omit from or reconsider in its plans to use Community Notes rather than third-party fact-checking.

A representative for Meta pointed CNET to an online response from the company in which it says it will publicly respond to recommendations from the board within 60 days with an update to its post.

Meta’s big moderation change

Meta relied on third-party fact checkers for more than a decade before deciding to shift to Community Notes on platforms such as Facebook. The move was widely seen as political, to curry favor with the Trump administration.

As Neiman Labs reports and as pointed out in the oversight board report, Community Notes have inherent problems: There’s little incentive for community members to post them, they’re often delayed in publication and have not been thoroughly tested, as the program is still considered to be in beta.

There have also been far fewer Community Notes posted than there were actions taken from fact-checking programs. There have been about 900 notes posted in the US compared to 35 million labels applied on Facebook posts across the European Union since Community Notes rolled out.

In addition to the damning report from the oversight board, Meta this week also lost two lawsuits, one in New Mexico and one in California, over allegations that its platforms are addictive by design and cause harm to children.

In a recent report, the European Fact-Checking Standards Network described Meta’s move away from fact-checking as part of «The Great Retreat,» which it called «a trend where the world’s most powerful technology companies have backtracked on their previous commitments to combat disinformation.»

Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im