Meta Conference: “Experts on Misinformation in CEE”

IGA analyst Barbara Bačová attended the “Experts on misinformation in CEE” conference hosted by Meta that took place on November 16 in Warsaw and explored the spread of misinformation in Central and Eastern Europe during the war in Ukraine. 
 
The event was attended by the leading NGOs and think tanks dealing with the information sphere in the region, as well as Meta’s leads in content management, including the Global Content Policy Director, Michael Marando. As many of the participants had first-hand experience with Facebook’s “3rd-party fact-checking initiative,” the conference revolved around the range of policies Meta is trying to take regarding disinformation and misinformation. Participants explored the threshold that posts/users need to meet to have action taken against them by Meta and cases when users are exempt from fact-checking for their special status (e.g. political speech). While trends specific to the region were discussed, Meta has also warned against “hyperlocalising” policies (i.e. making policies specific to geographical areas).