Meta is testing a new feature called Community Notes in 16 Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Mexico, and Venezuela, but not Brazil, which is its largest market in the region. The feature allows users to submit clarifications or corrections to potentially misleading posts. However, these notes are not visible to the public during the test phase. To qualify as a contributor, users must be at least 18 years old, have had an account for more than six months with no recent violations of platform rules, and have either a verified phone number or two-factor authentication enabled. These contributors write notes on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, and then evaluate them among themselves. A note is only published if contributors with opposing views agree it is useful, using an algorithm similar to that of X.com, which does not rely on a simple majority vote. Meta announced the test on September 9, following the launch of Community Notes in the United States in March 2025. The U.S. test ended three weeks later, after Meta decided to discontinue its traditional fact-checking program in the country. In Latin America, independent fact-checking efforts are currently active in the 16 test countries alongside the new system. However, the Meta Oversight Board and LatamChequea, a network of 47 fact-checking organizations in Latin America, have urged Meta not to replace professional fact-checking with Community Notes. The Oversight Board previously warned that rolling out Community Notes globally could risk human rights in politically polarized countries and during tense elections. Several Latin American countries have recently elected right-wing populist leaders, including Peru, Colombia, and Costa Rica, following Chile and Argentina, where leaders frequently use social media to enhance their image and spread propaganda, often amid high levels of misinformation. The Oversight Board has emphasized that community notes should not be seen as a direct replacement for professional fact-checking, urging Meta to use "all the tools that best address the challenge of misinformation on its platforms." The Board warned that the global rollout of Community Notes could lead to concrete harms, and it has requested country-by-country reports on risk factors before any full deployment. So far, Meta has not provided these documents, nor has it shared the results of the U.S. test. Meta has stated that it will publish Community Notes and transition away from its third-party fact-checking program if the test results are satisfactory. However, the system differs from the work of professional fact-checkers, who rely on primary sources and documented methods, while Community Notes depend on agreement among anonymous users. Angie Drobnic Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network, has expressed concerns that the Community Notes program alone is not enough to combat dangerous misinformation, especially in politically polarized countries. Meta has also stated that Community Notes and independent verification serve different purposes. The Oversight Board has stressed that decisions to reduce independent verification should not be based solely on the success of Community Notes, as these often build on the work of professional fact-checkers.