Author: Фондација Метаморфозис

On 16 January 2025, in Skopje, organized by the Metamorphosis Foundation for Internet and Society, the workshop “What is the EU Digital Services Act and Why is It important?” was held for civil society organizations and media outlets, as part the project “Ensuring the Integration of the Western Balkans into the Digital Single Market.”

Photo: Meta.mk
In the Western Balkans, aligning with the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) is crucial for creating a safer online environment. Countries are already making strides toward alignment, and it is essential for governments, civil society, and technology companies to collaborate in developing a regional approach that strengthens digital rights and upholds democratic value.
Speakers Danche Danilovska-Bajdevska, Program Director at the Metamorphosis Foundation and Despina Kovachevska, Media Monitoring Specialist, gave an overview of the European Digital Services Act, talked about its role in protecting fundamental rights and combating hate speech and disinformation, but also about the impact of the law on civil society organizations and the media.

Photo: Meta.mk
Photo: Meta.mk

“It is a set of rules that protect users, foster democratic progress and strengthen trust in digital services. With this law, the European Union sets a global standard for a fair and secure internet for all. According to some politicians in Brussels, the DSA will bring order to the digital ‘Wild West.’ It is therefore crucial to understand the contents of this EU law,” the workshop speakers stressed. The event also presented the findings of the analysis on the impact of the EU Digital Services Act on the legal framework in North Macedonia.
According to the analysis, the most important national document clarifying the alignment of national legislation with EU regulations and policies is the National Programme for Adoption of the Acquis Communautaire (NPAA).
To comply with the DSA, however, will require coordinated work of several ministries and harmonization of several Macedonian laws, such as the laws on audio and audiovisual media services, on media, on electronic communications, on protection of personal data, on electronic commerce, on prevention and protection against discrimination and many others.
The project “Ensuring the Integration of the Western Balkans into the Digital Single Market” aims to advance digital rights standards in the Western Balkans region and contribute to its successful integration into the Digital Single Market. This initiative represents a joint effort to address the unequal standards for digital rights in the Western Balkan countries through a multi-stakeholder approach to achieve meaningful change. This project is funded by Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans, implemented by Partners Serbia (Serbia), the Metamorphosis Foundation (North Macedonia), Why Not? (Bosnia and Herzegovina), NVO 35 mm (Montenegro), Women in Tech Kosovo (Kosovo) and Institute for Democracy and Mediation (Albania).

As Meta announces end to U.S. fact-checking, program partners warn of a setback for accuracy online and potential global consequences

Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,
Nine years ago, we wrote to you about the real-world harms caused by false information on Facebook. In response, Meta created a fact-checking program that helped protect millions of users from hoaxes and conspiracy theories. This week, you announced you’re ending that program in the United States because of concerns about “too much censorship” — a decision that threatens to undo nearly a decade of progress in promoting accurate information online.
The program that launched in 2016 was a strong step forward in encouraging factual accuracy online. It helped people have a positive experience on Facebook, Instagram and Threads by reducing the spread of false and misleading information in their feeds. We believe — and data shows — most people on social media are looking for reliable information to make decisions about their lives and to have good interactions with friends and family. Informing users about false information in order to slow its spread, without censoring, was the goal. Fact-checkers strongly support freedom of expression, and we’ve said that repeatedly and formally in last year’s Sarajevo statement. The freedom to say why something is not true is also free speech.
But you say the program has become “a tool to censor,” and that “fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created, especially in the U.S.” This is false, and we want to set the record straight, both for today’s context and for the historical record.
Meta required all fact-checking partners to meet strict nonpartisanship standards through verification by the International Fact-Checking Network. This meant no affiliations with political parties or candidates, no policy advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to objectivity and transparency. Each news organization undergoes rigorous annual verification, including independent assessment and peer review. Far from questioning these standards, Meta has consistently praised their rigor and effectiveness. Just a year ago, Meta extended the program to Threads.
Your comments suggest fact-checkers were responsible for censorship, even though Meta never gave fact-checkers the ability or the authority to remove content or accounts. People online have often blamed and harassed fact-checkers for Meta’s actions. Your recent comments will no doubt fuel those perceptions. But the reality is that Meta staff decided on how content found to be false by fact-checkers should be downranked or labeled. Several fact-checkers over the years have suggested to Meta how it could improve this labeling to be less intrusive and avoid even the appearance of censorship, but Meta never acted on those suggestions. Additionally, Meta exempted politicians and political candidates from fact-checking as a precautionary measure, even when they spread known falsehoods. Fact-checkers, meanwhile, said that politicians should be fact-checked like anyone else.
Over the years, Meta provided only limited information on the program’s results, even though fact-checkers and independent researchers asked again and again for more data. But from what we could tell, the program was effective. Research indicated fact-check labels reduced belief in and sharing of false information. And in your own testimony to Congress, you boasted about Meta’s “industry-leading fact-checking program.”
You said that you plan to start a Community Notes program similar to that of X. We do not believe that this type of program will result in a positive user experience, as X has demonstrated. Research shows that many Community Notes never get displayed, because they depend on widespread political consensus rather than on standards and evidence for accuracy. Even so, there is no reason Community Notes couldn’t co-exist with the third-party fact-checking program; they are not mutually exclusive. A Community Notes model that works in collaboration with professional fact-checking would have strong potential as a new model for promoting accurate information. The need for this is great: If people believe social media platforms are full of scams and hoaxes, they won’t want to spend time there or do business on them.
That brings us to the political context in the United States. Your announcement’s timing came after President-Elect Donald Trump’s election certification and as part of a broader response from the tech industry to the incoming administration. Mr. Trump himself said your announcement was “probably” in response to threats he’s made against you. Some of the journalists that are part of our fact-checking community have experienced similar threats from governments in the countries where they work, so we understand how hard it is to resist this pressure.
The plan to end the fact-checking program in 2025 applies only to the United States, for now. But Meta has similar programs in more than 100 countries that are all highly diverse, at different stages of democracy and development. Some of these countries are highly vulnerable to misinformation that spurs political instability, election interference, mob violence and even genocide. If Meta decides to stop the program worldwide, it is almost certain to result in real-world harm in many places.
This moment underlines the need for more funding for public service journalism. Fact-checking is essential to maintaining shared realities and evidence-based discussion, both in the United States and globally. The philanthropic sector has an opportunity to increase its investment in journalism at a critical time.
Most importantly, we believe the decision to end Meta’s third-party fact-checking program is a step backward for those who want to see an internet that prioritizes accurate and trustworthy information. We hope that somehow we can make up this ground in the years to come. We remain ready to work again with Meta, or any other technology platform that is interested in engaging fact-checking as a tool to give people the information they need to make informed decisions about their daily lives.
Access to truth fuels freedom of speech, empowering communities to align their choices with their values. As journalists, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the freedom of the press, ensuring that the pursuit of truth endures as a cornerstone of democracy.

Respectfully,
15min – Lithuania
AAP FactCheck – Australia
AFP – France
Africa Check – South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal
AkhbarMeter Media Observatory – Egypt
Animal Político-El Sabueso – México
Annie Lab – Hong Kong SAR
Aos Fatos – Brazil
Beam Reports – Sudan
Belarusian Investigative Center – Czech Republic
BOOM – India
Check Your Fact – United States of America
Chequeado – Argentina
Civilnet.am – Armenia
Colombiacheck – Colombia
Congo Check : Congo, Congo DR, Central African Rep
Cotejo.info – Venezuela
CORRECTIV – Germany
Delfi Melo detektorius – Lithuania
Demagog – Poland
Demagog.sk – Slovakia
DFRAC – India
Doğruluk Payı – Türkiye
Dubawa – Nigeria
Ecuador Chequea – Ecuador
Ellinika Hoaxes – Greece
Estadão Verifica – Brazil
Facta – Italy
FactCheckHub – Nigeria
Fact-Check Cyprus – Cyprus
FactCheck Georgia – Georgia
FactCheck.kz – Kazakhstan
Factcheck Lab – Hong Kong
FactCheckZW – Zimbabwe
FactCheck.org – United States of America
FactCheckNI – Northern Ireland
Factcheck.Vlaanderen – Belgium
Factchequeado – United States of America
Factly – India
FactReview – Greece
FactSpace West Africa – Ghana
Factnameh – Iran
Faktisk.no – Norway
Faktograf – Croatia
Faktoje.al – Albania
Factual.ro – Romania
Fakt Yoxla – Azerbaijan
Fatabyyano – Jordan
Full Fact – United Kingdom
Fundación Maldita.es – Spain
Greece Fact Check – Greece
Gwara Media – Ukraine
Hibrid.info – Kosovo
India Today Fact Check – India
Internews Kosova KALLXO – Kosovo
Istinomer – Serbia
Istinomjer – Bosnia & Herzegovina
Japan Fact-check Center – Japan
Källkritikbyrån – Sweden
KOMPAS.com – Indonesia
La Silla Vacía – Colombia
Lead Stories – United States of America
Les Surligneurs – France
Lupa – Brazil
Mafindo – Indonesia
Maharat Foundation – Lebanon
Mala Espina – Chile
MediaWise – United States of America
Metamorphosis – North Macedonia
MyGoPen – Taiwan
Myth Detector – Georgia
NepalFactCheck.org – Nepal
Newschecker – India
Newtral – Spain
Observador – Portugal
Open – Italy
Pagella Politica / Facta news – Italy
Polígrafo – Portugal
PolitiFact – United States of America
Pravda – Poland
PressOne.PH – Philippines
Probe – Philippines
Provereno – Estonia
Rappler – Philippines
Raskrinkavanje – Bosnia & Herzegovina
Raskrinkavanje.me – Montenegro
Razkrinkavanje.si – Slovenia
RMIT Lookout – Australia
Snopes – United States of America
Taiwan FactCheck Center – Taiwan
Tech4Peace – Iraq
Telugu Post – India
Teyit – Türkiye
The Quint – India
The Stage Media-Liberia – Liberia
TjekDet – Denmark
Tirto.id – Indonesia
The Journal FactCheck – Ireland
The Logical Indian – India
VERA Files – Philippines
Verificat – Spain
Verify – Syria

Editor’s note: Fact-checking organizations continue to sign this letter, and we’re updating the list as they do.

The EFCSN strongly condemns Meta’s CEO’s statements linking fact-checking with censorship
Platforms retracting from the fight against mis- and disinformation allows for election interference
The EFCSN encourages the European Union to stand strong in the face of such political pressure and not be deterred in its efforts to stop the spread of mis- and disinformation on VLOPs

7 January 2025 – The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) is disappointed by Meta’s decision to end its Third Party Fact-Checking Program “starting in the United States” and strongly condemns its CEO’s statements linking fact-checking with censorship. “This seems more a politically motivated move made in the context of the incoming administration of Donald Trump in the United States than an evidence-based decision”, says Clara Jiménez Cruz, Chair of the EFCSN. The EFCSN encourages the European Union to stand strong in the face of such political pressure and not be deterred in its efforts to stop the spread of mis- and disinformation on Very Large Online Platforms.
Fact-checking is not censorship, far from that, fact-checking adds speech to public debates, it provides context and facts for every citizen to make up their own mind. Fact-checking has been proven to be effective in countering misinformation time and again. Equating fact-checking with censorship is a false and malicious claim. Fact-checkers do not ‘censor’ anyone. Our members investigate and publish the evidence of claims potentially being false. It has always been Meta’s decision what to do with the content fact-checkers label, not ours.
The EFCSN takes issue with the characterisation of fact-checkers and journalists by Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, in his announcement. In the justification for ending the program, Zuckerberg says, “Fact checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created.” This is patently false. Fact-checkers are held to the highest journalistic standards of non-biased reporting, transparency, integrity and accountability, with organisations like the EFCSN upholding these standards through an independently conducted audit. Linking fact-checking with censorship is especially harmful as such false claims are already one of the driving forces behind harassment and attacks on fact-checkers. Furthering these claims can only exacerbate an already dire issue affecting fact-checkers across the world.
With several European countries heading to the polls in 2025, platforms retracting from the fight against mis- and disinformation allows and potentially even invites election interference, especially from foreign actors. The EU in particular must stand strong in the enforcement of its own laws, even in the face of pressure from other countries.
What the facts (and Meta) say on the impact of the Third Party Fact-checking program

In the announcement, Meta also equated the system of labelling fact-checked disinformation with censorship, stating “A program intended to inform too often became a tool to censor.” This is actually the opposite of the functioning of a labeling system. Labels on misinformation empower users to make informed decisions themselves about which content to interact with and share. In fact, just last year, in the lead up to the EU’s 2024 Parliament Elections, Meta emphasised the effectiveness of its labeling system, stating: “Between July and December 2023, for example, over 68 million pieces of content viewed in the EU on Facebook and Instagram had fact checking labels. When a fact-checked label is placed on a post, 95% of people don’t click through to view it.”
Meta has also previously celebrated its Third Party Fact-Checking Program as successful and beneficial to users, stating, “We know this program is working and people find value in the warning screens we apply to content after a fact-checking partner has rated it.” In the latest press release, Meta’s CEO alludes to “too many mistakes and too much censorship”; but Meta’s own most recent DSA transparency report shows that Fact-Checked demoted content by mistake only affected 3,15% of the total of complaints of demotion on Facebook.
The Community Notes model proposed as an alternative to the Third Party Fact-Checking Program also has weaknesses. Community Notes could best be used to counter false claims when they are based on proper expertise and fact-checking work. In the context of the 2024 US election, Poynter found that X’s Community Notes had at best an extremely marginal effect on combating election disinformation. In another investigation EFCSN member organization Science Feedback found that most of the content on X (formerly Twitter) that fact-checkers found to be false or misleading had no visible signs of having been moderated..
The European Fact-Checking Standards Network is an association of fact-checking organizations who commit to the standards of independence, transparency, and journalistic quality outlined in the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations. With over 50 verified members across Europe, the EFCSN is the voice of European fact-checkers.

Contribution of Metamorphosis, Meta.mk News Agency, Portalb, and Truthmeter to the Proposed Amendments to the Law on Media In the direction of maintaining a constructive discussion and participation in the consultative process, while taking into account the experience and work of the Metamorphosis Foundation, Meta.mk News Agency, Portalb, and Truthmeter, proposals for amendments to the […]
The post Comments on the Proposed Amendments to the Law on Media first appeared on Metamorphosis.

Megafon is an annual international event organized by TechSoup Global as a space for discussion and learning to stimulate new ideas among activists, action groups and NGOs from Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus working in the field of building positive narratives and preventing disinformation. This year, the event took place on […]
The post Megaphone: annual conference for activists and civil society organizations first appeared on Metamorphosis.

For the first time, the Metamorphosis Foundation granted its annual “Ilija Zhupaonski” Award for combating disinformation during its twentieth edition of the e-Society.mk conference.
The award in the category “Best journalistic work, i.e. professional paper prepared by civil society organizations and individuals” was granted to the Institute for Media and Analytics “IMA”—Skopje for a professional paper with a series of content that is interconnected but refers to one specific topic.
It concerns the content: “’The French proposal:’ Hate speech, disinformation, media manipulation” (media analyses), the analysis “Media outlets and campaigns with disinformation and hate speech against gender and sexual equality,” “Russian and pro-Russian disinformation in North Macedonia: Analysis of propaganda narratives and case studies” and “Constitutional changes in the media: disinformation, media manipulation, hate speech” (analyses) covered in the TV show “Poligraf” to expose disinformation and fake news. The authors of the project and the script are Petrit Saracini and Zharko Trajanoski.

The award in the category “Educational multimedia content prepared by young people aged 18 to 28 years old” was granted to the journalist Ardit Ramadani for the video titled “Media hysteria about Imane Khelif’s gender rooted in Russia, media outlets fell into Russia’s trap, again.” This award is granted for content in which information and communication technologies are used in a creative and innovative way to reach young people and educate them in order to strengthen resistance against disinformation.

Vesna Kolovska, the journalist that was awarded recognition for a special contribution with the educational series “Disinformation and the spread of conspiracy theories” (educational videos), said that the fight against conspiracy theories is one of the most difficult.

The award for the first category “Best journalistic work, i.e. professional paper” is equivalent to 3000 euros in denars. The award for the second category “Educational multimedia content prepared by young people aged 18 to 28 years old” is equivalent to 1000 euros in denars.
The awards were decided by a committee made up of prominent figures from the media and public sphere: Katerina Blazhevska, Dejan Donev, Arta Tahiri, Biljana Georgievska and Nazim Rashidi.
The award is named after Ilija Zhupanoski, who was a social activist for democracy and an active fighter against disinformation and against hybrid and cyber-attacks on democracies at national and international level.
“Ilija was our collaborator, comrade, who devoted a significant part of his life to understanding the effect of disinformation and foreign influences on the democratic processes in North Macedonia. Although, unfortunately, he left us too soon, his tireless work left an indelible mark on society, and his efforts will live on through all of us who continue to fight against disinformation in defense of the truth, that is, to build a society in which freedom of speech is inviolable.” said Dance Danilovska-Bajdevska, Program Director at the Metamorphosis Foundation during the award ceremony.

The twentieth international conference e-Society.mk organized by the Metamorphosis Foundation, which marks two decades of existence, was held on the 5th of November in Skopje. This year, the conference addressed the topic of digital transformation through multiple panel discussions, exhibitions, quizzes, and presentations. Within the framework of the conference, the “Ilija Zhupanoski” Award for combating disinformation was also awarded for the first time.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of North Macedonia, Özlem Canel, opened the conference along with the Executive Director of the Metamorphosis Foundation, Bardhyl Jashari.
Among other things, Ambassador Canel emphasized that: “when we talk about digitalization, we can’t help but discuss cyber security, these are two sides of the same coin.”

Jashari emphasized that the Metamorphosis Foundation “has been trying to use technology, through activities and various efforts, to improve the openness and transparency of the authorities, to fight hate speech, and other issues.”
In addition to experts from the region and abroad, domestic experts, representatives of state institutions, and of the business sector, as well as individuals with disabilities and representatives of youth organizations were included in the sessions.

During the first panel discussion titled “Digital Society—What’s the point?” the speakers gave their perspectives from the institutional, civil, and business sector in terms of their responsibility and the practices they apply in creating a digital society which benefits all citizens.
After the discussion, the attendees had the opportunity to learn first-hand the ways of applying AI assistants by people with disabilities.

After the break, we had the opportunity to see a different kind of discussion which affects the new ways of using the means of communication and the new media, especially among young people. The discussion “Show Me Your Meme —Memification of the Public Discourse” touched on the questions of how media adapts to new decentralized ways of conveying information where its power diminishes, while unwanted background influences increase.

Young people attended the following session in which young representatives from civil organizations competed against senior and more experienced citizens in a quiz on recognizing disinformation. This entertaining session showed how difficult it is to recognize disinformation, as well as the ways to recognize it.

The last panel discussion “Disinformation War—Political and Security Challenge in the Western Balkans,” focused specifically on disinformation and its serious consequences for the safety of the country. This panel included experts which shared experiences regarding these questions from the region and beyond.

The conference closed with the awarding of the annual “Ilija Zhupanoski” Award for journalists, civil society organizations, and individuals working to combat disinformation in the country, which the Metamorphosis Foundation introduced for the first time. Awards were granted in two categories.

In the category of “Best journalistic work, i.e. professional paper prepared by civil society organizations and individuals” the prize of 3000 euros in denar equivalent was awarded to the Institute for Media and Analytics IMA Skopje for a series of content that is interconnected, covered in the TV show for detecting disinformation “Poligraf.”
The authors of the project and the script are Petrit Saracini and Zharko Trajanoski.
The award in the category “Educational multimedia content prepared by young people aged 18 to 28 years old” was awarded to the journalist Ardit Ramadani for the video titled “Media hysteria about Imane Khelif’s gender rooted in Russia, media outlets fell into Russia’s trap, again.”

Considering the quality of the reported topic “Disinformation and the spread of conspiracy theories” (educational videos), the Commission unanimously decided to award recognition for a special contribution to the journalist Vesna Kolovska.
The second day of the conference took place in Public Room where a workshop on fighting disinformation was held—the workshop “StopFake’s best practices” was aimed at educating participants on recognizing and opposing disinformation based on the experience of the well-known fact-checking service StopFake.org from Ukraine which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Conducted in synergy with the Google News Initiative to share skills and tips to educate a new generation of journalists, fact-checkers, and teachers.

Date: November 5, 2024 Location: Marriott Hotel (Ballroom 1+2) Entry: Free Language: Macedonian, Albanian, and English simultaneous interpretation This year, the 20th anniversary edition of the e-Society.mk conference is being held along with the celebration of 20 years since the founding of the Metamorphosis Foundation. At the event entitled “Digital transformation for life” we will […]
The post 20th international conference e-Society.mk in Skopje first appeared on Metamorphosis.

We are pleased to inform you that the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is organizing the international conference titled “Money, Media, and Elections in North Macedonia,” taking place on 28-29 October 2024 at the Hotel Holiday Inn, Skopje. This two-day event will bring together experts and stakeholders to discuss critical findings and actionable recommendations […]
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