Mark Zuckerberg Bows to ‘Free Speech’: But Will This Be Real Change or Mere Illusion?

Over the past several years, Facebook has quietly sidelined millions of conservative voices. At Christian Action Network, we’ve experienced this firsthand.

For the last year, our Facebook fan page hovered around 29,000 followers, yet our posts only reached an average of 108 people in 2024. That’s a far cry from pre-2016 days when many posts would attract thousands of viewers.

Now, Mark Zuckerberg has announced a grand gesture to return Facebook (and its sister platforms) to the “roots” of free expression—abandoning fact-checkers, restoring political content to user timelines, and pivoting to a community-based approach like X’s Community Notes.

The question is: Is this truly a sea change, or merely a cosmetic fix aimed at appeasing the new administration and big-name conservative leaders?

Our Facebook Story: From Booming to Ghost Town

Prior to 2016, our conservative commentary frequently reached thousands of followers. An average post might be shared dozens of times, with comment threads multiplying by the hour.

By 2024, Facebook had become a digital ghost town for us—despite having nearly the same audience size.

We’re not alone.

Many lesser-known conservative voices report experiencing so-called “shadow bans” or algorithmic suppression. While big names like Donald Trump or Ben Shapiro make headlines when they’re censored or reinstated, small organizations slip by unnoticed—like the quiet kid in gym class who nobody thinks to pick for dodgeball.

So, when Zuckerberg proclaims a new era of free speech, my first reaction is: Will smaller conservative Pages actually see change—or will we remain invisible as ever?

Zuckerberg’s Big Announcement

Headlines dominated the news earlier this month when Zuckerberg released a five-minute video promising major changes to Facebook, Instagram, and even Threads:

• · Scrapping Fact-Checkers
  Citing their “bias” and “complexity,” Meta plans to ditch third-party fact-checkers in favor of a community-based system that flags misleading information—presumably hoping a digital “village watch” is less biased than a handful of full-time hall monitors.

• · Political Content is Back
  The platforms will once again emphasize political and civic content in users’ timelines, with the option to customize how much (or how little) you see.

• Simplifying Content Policies
  Zuckerberg claims Meta will remove onerous restrictions around issues like immigration and gender, recognizing these are mainstream debates that people (shockingly) like to have.

On the surface, that all sounds great. Who wouldn’t want a level playing field for robust political discourse?

But the timing is suspicious.

It comes right on the heels of President-elect Trump’s victory—amid rumors of million-dollar donations from Zuckerberg to Trump’s inaugural fund, dinners at Mar-a-Lago, and newly appointed conservative-friendly board members and positions.

Is this a sincere shift in how Facebook will moderate speech, or merely an attempt to stay on the good side of the incoming administration?

Will This Actually Help Lesser-Known Voices?

If history is any guide, Meta (Facebook’s parent company) tends to favor large-scale, splashy gestures—while quietly preserving the algorithms that stifle smaller organizations.

It’s easy to restore access to someone like Donald Trump (who generates headlines and millions of views). But will local churches, grassroots nonprofits, and modest-sized conservative Pages actually see their organic reach go from 108 back up to thousands?

Algorithms are tricky.

No matter how transparent Zuckerberg claims Facebook will be, it’s often near-impossible to pinpoint why one post thrives and another fails.

Think of it like the Bermuda Triangle of social media: posts go in, never to be seen again, and we’re left scratching our heads as to what happened.

A new “community notes” feature might be less overtly biased than old-school fact-checkers, but it could also be weaponized. Coordinated groups could mass-flag content they dislike, burying conservative viewpoints under “misleading” warnings.

Zuckerberg insists this move is about going back to Facebook’s original purpose: connecting people and encouraging free expression.

Yet, the cynic in me can’t ignore how often Facebook’s policies follow the political wind.

In 2019–2020, Democrats and mainstream media hammered social platforms for “allowing misinformation,” prompting Facebook to impose heavier censorship. Now, with a more conservative White House emerging, the pendulum swings back to “free speech”?

Forgive me if I’m getting whiplash.

A Troubling Track Record

Facebook’s admission that it demoted the Hunter Biden laptop story leading up to the 2020 election is just one example of how the platform has been swayed by political pressure.

Zuckerberg even claimed the FBI pressured Facebook to censor “potential Russian disinformation,” which turned out to be legitimate reporting.

More recently, Facebook revealed that the Biden administration threatened the company to remove so-called “COVID misinformation,” including satire.

Zuckerberg now calls that pressure “wrong,” insisting Meta won’t repeat that mistake. But again, is that contrition genuine—or the result of looming legal or political risks?

A Free Speech Warrior? Or a Political Opportunist?

Zuckerberg dined with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago and donated $1 million to his inaugural fund, signaling a complete reversal of their past relationship.

Could these overtures be about Meta protecting itself from Section 230 reform and potential antitrust battles?

After all, when the wolves are at your door, offering them a seat at the dinner table can be a strategic move.

With the threat of regulation ever-present, Meta needs to keep Washington on its side—especially if the next administration is determined to crack down on Big Tech. Restoring conservative voices is one way to appear balanced and avoid the scalpel.

Even if shadow-banning become rarer, quiet algorithmic suppression can continue indefinitely. We may never know exactly why certain content is shown to only 100 people out of 29,000 followers.

Waiting for Proof in the Pudding (or the Analytics)

At Christian Action Network, we’ll be watching our Page’s analytics closely over the next few months. If our reach doesn’t budge, that’s a glaring sign this “free speech pivot” was more about polishing Meta’s halo than about helping our posts actually see the light of day.

Rather than throw in the towel, though, we plan to keep posting regularly—and sharing direct data on post reach—in case the platform really does start honoring the “back to our roots” promise. Plus, encouraging our followers to like, comment, and share might help crack the algorithmic code… or at least annoy the censors enough to notice us.

We’re Still Skeptical But Staying Hopeful

It’s tempting to hope Zuckerberg’s latest announcement signals a true renaissance of free expression on Facebook. It would be a boon for countless smaller conservative platforms like ours that have been pushed to the margins.

But skepticism is warranted.

Is this new policy just a showpiece designed to placate influential conservatives, while everyone else continues to suffer soft suppression and shadow banning?

Only time—and data—will tell.

As we track post reach, engagement, and the tenor of “community notes,” we’ll find out if this “back to our roots” promise truly means something for everyday conservative voices or remains a top-level concession to placate a new era in American politics.

Either way, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

We’ll keep sharing our content and letting you know exactly how the platform responds.

If there’s one positive takeaway, it’s that the conversation around free speech and Big Tech is finally happening out in the open— —and maybe, just maybe, “nerd rule” will give way to genuine public discourse.

If not? Well, we’ll always have memes.

Martin Mawyer is president of the Christian Action Network, which he founded in 1990. Located in Lynchburg, VA, CAN was formed as a non-profit educational organization to protect America’s religious and moral heritage. He is the author of several books, including You Are Chosen: Prepare to Triumph in a Fallen World.