Instagram is reportedly developing a new feature called Community Notes, which will allow users to write notes on published posts. This information has emerged from a source close to the development, following an announcement by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the discontinuation of the existing fact-checking program. Zuckerberg cited issues with censorship and inflexible content policies as reasons for this change. While Meta has confirmed that Community Notes will be rolled out across all of its social media platforms, a specific launch date has yet to be disclosed.
Developer Alessandro Paluzzi, known on Threads as @alex193a, indicated that the Community Notes feature for Instagram is currently in the development phase and is not yet accessible to users. Reports suggest that the feature is progressing rapidly on Threads, where it is reportedly in the testing stage. Zuckerberg mentioned that the initial rollout of Community Notes would take place in the United States before expanding to other regions.
A screenshot shared by the source reveals that users could access the Community Notes feature by tapping on the three vertical dots next to any Instagram post. The option is titled “Write community note” and is located above the Report icon. Details on how users will be selected for this feature and the criteria for rating submitted notes remain unclear.
Meta outlined that Community Notes aims to empower users with various perspectives to contribute their insights on misleading content, providing additional context. Eligible participants will be able to offer background information or opinion-based insights, which, if deemed valuable by the community, will be published alongside the original post.
Zuckerberg elaborated on the decision to eliminate the fact-checking program in a series of posts on Threads. He emphasized the need to return to the foundational principles of free expression and user voice on the platform. He also indicated that content policies would be streamlined and that limitations on topics like immigration and gender, which he considers disconnected from mainstream discussions, would be lifted.
Community Notes was first introduced by X (formerly known as Twitter) in 2021 but gained traction and visibility following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform. The feature has faced criticism from various users who argue that it shifts the responsibility of determining objective truth from independent organizations to a select group of individuals chosen without clear criteria.
