Meta and its new direction: Trump, censorship and the risk of user churn

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has faced significant challenges to user trust and the stability of its business in recent years. Its CEO Mark Zuckerberg has now made a series of controversial decisions that are significantly changing the company's course. After years of distancing itself from Donald Trump and his political supporters, Meta is now pivoting and opening the door to new alliances. However, these moves carry a high risk of losing user trust, an outflow of advertisers and a negative impact on brand value.

Four years ago, Zuckerberg called Trump's presence on Meta $METAplatforms too dangerous. Now, however, the company is changing course. Meta is dropping its collaboration with independent fact-checkers, changing its content moderation rules and strengthening ties with key figures in Trump's circle. The shift, which includes the appointment of Dan White, the head of the UFC and a Trump ally, to the board, comes at a time when Zuckerberg is openly seeking…