Meta’s Policy Rollback Fuels Surge in Threats to U.S. Lawmakers

In early 2025 Meta eliminated its U.S. fact-checking program, transferred fact-checking to the Community Notes model, and eased restrictions on speech about gender and sexual identity. The company framed the shift as a free-speech safeguard and observers linked it to the new Trump administration’s criticism of platform fact-checking. The rollout coincided with a marked increase in threatening and abusive comments on Facebook directed at members of Congress.

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The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) examined roughly 8 million Facebook comments posted to the feeds of 100 lawmakers—50 Republicans and 50 Democrats with the largest follower counts—covering the six months before and after Meta’s policy change. Using an AI system trained to flag violations in violence/incitement, hateful conduct, and bullying/harassment, CCDH reported:

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• Violent threats against lawmakers quadrupled.

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• Abusive and racist comments tripled.

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• Harassment incidents more than doubled.

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• Gender-based and racial abuse rose sharply.

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• Threats targeting President Donald Trump more than doubled, including a comment that he “deserves a bullet through his head.”

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Specific examples cited include gendered slurs aimed at Rep. Jasmine Crockette (Texas) and Rep. Byron Daniels (Florida).

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Meta’s spokesperson said the company “regularly issues public reports tracking ‘violating content’ on our platforms” and asserted that “the prevalence of hateful conduct did not increase throughout 2025.” The spokesperson added that Meta could not address CCDH’s claims because the report was not provided in advance.

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Senator John Curtis (R-UT) responded that “when companies reduce oversight in areas like violence, hate and harassment, it should not be any surprise to see those harms increase,” emphasizing concern over recent incidents involving public officials.

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Meta’s chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan explained the policy shift as a correction of “over-enforcing our rules, limiting legitimate political debate and censoring too much trivial content.”

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CCDH chief executive Imran Ahmed warned that “when platforms stop enforcing their own rules… they become complicit in normalising intimidation and harassment of elected officials.” Advocacy groups also flagged the rollback of gender-related speech restrictions as a source of heightened abuse. The International Fact-Checking Network cautioned that extending Meta’s policy changes beyond the United States could have “devastating consequences” for global fact-checking efforts.

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• “When platforms stop enforcing their own rules against threats, hate and harassment, they become complicit in normalising intimidation and harassment of elected officials,” — Imran Ahmed, CEO, CCDH

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• “John Curtis, a Republican senator from Utah, said in a statement to CCDH: “When companies reduce oversight in areas like violence, hate and harassment, it should not be any surprise to see those harms increase.” — John Curtis, U.S. Senator (UT)

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• “We have been over-enforcing our rules, limiting legitimate political debate and censoring too much trivial content and subjecting too many people to frustrating enforcement actions,” — Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta

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• “ In a statement, a Meta spokesman said the Palo Alto company regularly issues public reports tracking “violating content” on its platforms and “the prevalence of hateful conduct did not increase throughout 2025”.” — Meta spokesperson

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CCDH’s data indicate a four-fold rise in violent threats and a broad surge in hateful content, whereas Meta’s statement denies any increase in hateful conduct for 2025. CCDH shared its findings with Meta, but Meta reported it had not received the report before publication, limiting a direct rebuttal.

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The CCDH report has prompted calls for closer regulatory oversight of social-media moderation practices. The International Fact-Checking Network urges caution before expanding the policy shift internationally. Ongoing monitoring of Facebook comment streams and potential legislative action may shape Meta’s future moderation framework.

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