Nobel winner Ressa says ‘dangerous times’ ahead after Meta ends fact-checking

The veteran Philippine journalist has spent years fighting online disinformation while battling court cases.

MANILA: Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa warned today of extremely dangerous times ahead in an interview with AFP after social media giant Meta ended its US fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram.

Ressa and the Rappler news site she co-founded have spent years fighting online disinformation while battling court cases filed under former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, whose drug war killed thousands of people.

The veteran journalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 said Metas decision meant extremely dangerous times ahead for journalism, democracy and social media users.

Mark Zuckerberg says its a free speech issue thats completely wrong, Ressa told AFP at Rapplers newsroom in Manila.

Only if youre profit-driven can you claim that; only if you want power and money can you claim that. This is about safety.