In early January 2025 Meta announced that it would be scrapping the use of its so-called ‘independent fact checkers’ on Facebook and Instagram, replacing them with a ‘community notes’ system similar to that now used on Elon Musk’s X platform. Commenting on the move, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg admitted that the ‘fact checkers’ used by the firm had been “too politically biased” and that it was “time to get back to our roots around free expression.” Three months later, however, it appears not much has changed. Facebook posts made by users outside the United States remain subject to draconian censorship by anonymous ‘fact checkers.’

Having previously fallen foul of the Facebook censorship regime, we launched our new Dr. Rath Health Foundation page on the social media platform last month. Everything appeared to be fine until we posted a link to an article on our website describing how a June 2024 study authored by researchers from the Netherlands had analyzed data from 47 countries and found that over three million excess deaths have occurred in the Western World since 2020. Published in the prestigious BMJ Public Health journal, the study described this as “unprecedented” and, expressing serious concerns, urged governments to thoroughly investigate the underlying causes – including potential COVID-19 vaccine harms.

Facebook’s response was not what we were expecting. Our post was quickly slapped with a ‘False information’ ‘Reviewed by third-party fact-checkers’ label. This was accompanied by a link to a webpage claiming that COVID-19 vaccines had supposedly actually lowered excess deaths. Reading further we learned that Facebook pages and websites “that repeatedly share false information will see their distribution reduced and their ability to advertise removed.” So much for Zuckerberg’s promises, then.

Supporting the ‘Ministry of Truth’?

Unusually, the study concerned had been widely reported in the legacy media. The UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper even went so far as to openly state that COVID-19 vaccines may have helped fuel the rise in excess deaths, and that experts were calling for more research into side effects and possible links to mortality rates. Other legacy media covering the story included the New York Post, the Times of India, Bahrain’s Gulf Daily News, and the UK’s Daily Mail.

Nevertheless, despite the BMJ Public Health journal having peer-reviewed the study prior to publication, it responded to the media coverage by saying that its ‘integrity team’ and editors were now “investigating issues raised regarding the quality and messaging” of the research. It isn’t difficult to guess what this means. Behind the scenes, in activities resembling those of the infamous ‘Ministry of Truth’ in George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four,’ the paper is likely being watered down or considered for retraction. By labeling posts about the study as ‘false information,’ Facebook is essentially supporting such moves.

Prohibitions on Freedom of Speech Are a Threat to Our Health

Speaking in January 2025, acknowledging that there had been “too much censorship,” Zuckerberg committed himself to “restoring free expression” on Meta’s platforms. Getting rid of the ‘fact checkers’ and replacing them with a ‘community notes’ approach would start in the United States, he said. After that, the claimed plan – as described on the Facebook website – is to improve it over the course of the year before expanding to other countries.

While we would like to believe that Zuckerberg is genuine, there are no published dates as to when the ‘community notes’ system will be expanded to countries outside of the United States. Nor are there even any guarantees that it will be expanded. Prohibitions on freedom of speech are not simply a matter of human rights. They are also a direct threat to our health. The coming months will show us where Zuckerberg really stands.

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This article was originally published on Dr. Rath Health Foundation.

Executive Director of the Dr. Rath Health Foundation and one of the coauthors of our explosive book, “The Nazi Roots of the ‘Brussels EU’”, Paul is also our expert on the Codex Alimentarius Commission and has had eye-witness experience, as an official observer delegate, at its meetings. You can find Paul on Twitter at @paulanthtaylor

He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

Featured image is from Adobe Stock / Dr. Rath Health Foundation 

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