Meta has announced the expansion of its "community notes" system to 16 Latin American countries, replacing its previous reliance on professional fact-checkers. This move follows a similar shift in the United States, where Meta began testing the system in January 2025. The community notes system allows users to add clarifications or context to posts, with notes requiring approval from a sufficient number of contributors who represent diverse viewpoints. Meta claims the system has over 1.4 million participants in the U.S. and generates more notes than independent fact-checkers, often faster. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, had previously criticized the old system for producing "too many errors and too much censorship." However, several studies have found that the community notes model is less effective than professional fact-checking in combating disinformation. Angie Holan, director of the International Fact-Checking Network, expressed "deeply concerned" about the shift, warning that community notes alone are not enough to reduce the spread of dangerous disinformation on social networks. The rollout of community notes comes at a time of political tension in Latin America, following recent elections in Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, and Argentina. Political leaders in the region frequently use social media to communicate with the public, and some have been accused of using online user groups to create the illusion of strong popular support. This has raised concerns that the expansion of community notes could lead to an increase in disinformation on platforms where political discussions are central. Meta's information director, Phil Chetwynd, argues that the two systems—community notes and professional fact-checking—should work together. He stated that serious studies suggest community notes are only effective when contributors rely on accurate and ethical digital journalism. He emphasized that fact-checking and community notes should complement each other, with the quality of the notes being more important than their quantity. Meta's oversight board had previously criticized the company for moving away from fact-checking too quickly in the United States, suggesting that the transition was made without sufficient consideration of the risks involved.