The article discusses a false claim that emerged on Facebook immediately after Donald Trump's inauguration, asserting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was offering bounties for reporting undocumented immigrants. Fact-checkers quickly debunked the claim, noting that ICE does not pay for tips. However, Meta announced plans to stop collaborating with fact-checkers in the U.S. Old policies aimed at curbing misinformation are being rolled back, while a new monetization program may incentivize misleading content, increasing its visibility and funding.
"BREAKING - ICE is allegedly offering $750 per illegal immigrant that you turn in through their tip form," read a post on a page called NO Filter Seeking Truth, adding, "Cash in folks."
Meta's decision to stop working with fact-checkers in the U.S. to label false content, alongside a revamp of the Content Monetization program, signals a likely resurgence of incendiary false stories on Facebook.
According to former professional Facebook hoaxsters and a former Meta data scientist, the combination of financial incentives and reduced content moderation could allow misleading posts to thrive.
ProPublica identified 95 Facebook pages that regularly post made-up headlines designed to draw engagement and stoke political divisions, totaling over 7.7 million followers.
ICE has a tip line but said it does not offer cash bounties, contradicting widely circulated claims on Facebook that threatened to raise political tensions further.
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