This move, which Zuckerberg framed as a bid to "restore free expression," comes as he aligns with the prospect of a second Trump presidency.

"We're going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms," Zuckerberg declared in a video message.

The CEO revealed that Meta will eliminate fact-checkers and introduce a Community Notes system, akin to the one used by Elon Musk's X platform, where users can flag posts they believe require additional context.

While Meta will continue to target illegal activities, Zuckerberg stated in a separate Threads post that the company will cease enforcing content rules on immigration and gender, which he described as "out of touch with mainstream discourse."

This policy shift is poised to significantly alter the experience for billions of Meta's users, marking a stark departure from the company's previous efforts to curb abusive and deceptive content.

It will save a Meta a fortune because it will no longer have to stop Russian fake news flooding the site or have to crack down on bullying by different hostile groups.  It is unclear how well this will go down in other countries where these sorts of things are illegal. It would appear Meta is gambling on the US veering to the right and Trump defending it from the likes of the EU.

The initial push for content-policing was a response to widespread complaints from users, advertisers, and politicians about the rampant spread of harmful content on Meta's platforms. However, these measures also faced backlash, particularly from the political right, who argued their views were being censored.

It might be a coincidence, but this week Meta announced that the former British deputy PM Sir Nick Clegg who it had hired as its president of global affairs was standing down in favour of White House Deputy Chief of Staff under George W. Bush, Joe Kaplan. It could be that Clegg, who destroyed the Liberal Democrats by forming a coalition with the Tories and keeping them in power, does not want to oversee another shift to the right.