Community Notes Are Arriving on Instagram: Here’s How They Operate


**Meta Testing Community Notes on Instagram and Threads**

Meta is allegedly in the process of implementing community notes for both Instagram and Threads. This initiative follows CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement regarding a departure from conventional fact-checking towards a more community-oriented methodology.

The initial signs of this feature’s rollout were identified by mobile developer and informant Alessandro Paluzzi, who posted screenshots that demonstrate its functionality on the platforms. From Paluzzi’s observations, users will have the ability to add community notes through the three-dot menu found on posts in Threads and Instagram.

Paluzzi further indicated that these notes will be anonymous and will only be displayed publicly if other users evaluate them as helpful. This aligns with Zuckerberg’s justification for the feature, as he suggested that traditional fact-checking has been “too politically biased” and has diminished trust instead of fostering it.

### Community Notes in Action
The screenshots shared by Paluzzi, likely taken from a testing phase of the feature, offer insight into how the system is expected to function. Users will have the capacity to submit notes to posts, and the platform will depend on community-generated ratings to assess the significance of these contributions.

This strategy is akin to a similar model implemented on Elon Musk’s X (previously Twitter), which also employs community notes for fact-checking purposes. Nevertheless, the success of Musk’s program has come under scrutiny, as misinformation on the platform has reportedly surged instead of waned.

### Meta’s Broader Strategy
The launch of community notes represents a broader transformation in Meta’s content moderation tactics. Alongside this feature, Instagram and Threads are gearing up to suggest political content to users—marking a significant shift from the company’s prior assertion that such suggestions were not in the best interests of users.

This new direction illustrates Meta’s changing stance on content management and user engagement on its platforms, even as it contends with backlash regarding its strategies for addressing misinformation and politically sensitive materials.

### Looking Ahead
As Meta proceeds with the testing and enhancement of community notes, it remains uncertain whether this feature will effectively tackle issues surrounding trust and misinformation or if it will encounter challenges similar to those faced by X. For the time being, users on Instagram and Threads may soon gain a new means to influence discussions on these platforms.

**SEE ALSO:** [Instagram is showing your friends which Reels you’ve liked](https://mashable.com/article/instagram-reels-likes-friends)