Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Say 'ego Or Profit' Is Behind Meta's Decision To Scrap Fact-checkers

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry said Meta's move should "deeply concern us all."

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry urged Meta to reverse its fact-checking policy rollback in the US.
• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said Meta's latest move should "deeply concern us all."
• The couple said that Mark Zuckerberg's company was allowed "ego or profit" to guide its decision-making.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle criticized Meta's decision to cut third-party fact-checking in the US and said the move would allow the spread of "hate, lies, and division" on its platforms.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have a record of speaking out about misinformation on social media and online bullying, published an open letter on Monday urging Mark Zuckerberg's company to reverse the policy change announced last week.

"It doesn't matter whether your views are left, right or somewhere in between," the Sussexes wrote. "The latest news from Meta about changes to their policies directly undermines free speech. This should deeply concern us all."

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Meta and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The couple took aim at Meta's "talking points" about replacing its third-party fact-checking program with community notes — similar to X's approach. They also voiced disapproval of Meta's decision to roll back DEI initiatives.

Meta said loosening its fact-checking program would promote free speech by "lifting restrictions" on topics that are part of "mainstream discourse" and take a "more personalized approach to political content." The Sussexes argued it would ultimately "silence speech and expression, not foster it."

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"This latest move from Meta is an example of a social media company— fully aware of their power to shape public discourse — disregarding any responsibility to ensure that power is not abused and instead allowing either ego or profit, likely both, to guide decisions that affect billions," the Sussexes said.

Meta's policy changes may increase the likelihood that users encounter controversial content and debates on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads around topics such as "immigration, gender identity, and gender," Business Insider previously reported.

Harry and Meghan also took aim at the apparent link between the company's policy change and President-elect Donald Trump's reelection, which said Meta had "come a long way" in a press conference following the announcement.

The same day, Meta CMO Alex Schultz told BI that Trump's victory directly influenced the decision, saying that "elections have consequences."

Meghan returned to Instagram earlier this month after an absence that began in 2020. The couple have previously spoken about how they met on the platform.

Her new Netflix documentary titled "With Love, Meghan" will now be released on March 4 rather than January 15 because of the "ongoing devastation" of the Los Angeles wildfires.