Biden Warns of Social Media Disinformation, Tech Platforms Yielding to Trump in Farewell Address

In his final days in office, President Joe Biden has issued a stark warning about the deteriorating information landscape in America, taking aim at social media platforms that have abandoned fact-checking efforts amid a rising tide of misinformation.

During his farewell address to the nation, Biden spoke candidly about what he sees as a growing crisis threatening American democracy. “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling an abuse of power,” Biden said. “The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media has given up on fact-checking.”

In one of his most pointed remarks, the outgoing president stated: “The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit.” He called for accountability from social media companies, emphasizing the need “to protect our children, our families and our very democracies from the abuse of power.”

The president’s comments come as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House following a campaign that media watchdogs and fact-checkers have criticized for spreading falsehoods and divisive rhetoric. Trump’s victory marks a significant shift in the political landscape, with concerns growing about how his administration might further impact the information ecosystem.

Biden’s criticism appears particularly directed at tech billionaire Elon Musk, whose 2022 acquisition of Twitter (now X) has transformed the platform’s approach to content moderation. Under Musk’s ownership, X has significantly reduced its content moderation teams and altered its approach to handling misinformation, creating what critics describe as a more permissive environment for false claims.

Musk himself has recently faced scrutiny for spreading misinformation. In a notable incident, X’s own community notes feature—a crowd-sourced fact-checking mechanism—flagged several of Musk’s posts containing false claims about UK politicians and their handling of grooming gangs, incorrectly accusing ministers of inaction regarding sexual abuse cases.

Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced plans to scale back the use of independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram. This decision comes as Zuckerberg appears to be repositioning Meta’s relationship with the incoming Trump administration. Republican lawmakers have long criticized Meta’s fact-checking policies as censorship that disproportionately targets conservative viewpoints—a claim Meta has repeatedly denied.

The shift in approach by major social media companies reflects the complex political pressures they face. These platforms must balance concerns about misinformation with accusations of political bias and censorship, all while operating in an increasingly polarized political environment where the definition of “truth” itself has become contentious.

Media experts warn that the retreat from fact-checking could exacerbate existing problems with online misinformation at a time when digital literacy remains inconsistent across the population. A 2023 Pew Research study found that 64% of Americans believe misinformation on social media has increased their distrust in government, while 57% report it has damaged their relationships with family or friends.

As Biden prepares to leave office, his warning underscores a troubling trend in America’s information landscape—one where technological innovation has outpaced society’s ability to ensure information integrity. The challenge of maintaining a shared factual basis for public discourse remains one of the most significant hurdles facing American democracy.

For the incoming Trump administration, questions remain about how it will address these concerns, especially given the president-elect’s historically combative relationship with traditional media and his embrace of alternative information sources that often lack rigorous fact-checking processes.

Biden’s farewell caution serves as both a reflection on his time in office and a warning about challenges that will likely persist long after his departure from the White House.