Meta might have opted for a content moderation tactic similar to X, but don’t expect brands to boycott Facebook in the same way they did Elon Musk’s platform.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to the company’s content moderation policies this week—specifically ending third-party fact-checking, and lifting restrictions on free speech across Facebook and Instagram.

The announcement was made by Joel Kaplan, Meta’s new Republican policy head, and is one of several recent conservative moves. Meta also donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund and added added Trump ally and UFC CEO Dana White to the company’s board of directors.

Advertisers aren’t likely to pull back because Meta’s ad products are unmatched in their scale and ability to drive performance. Brands also find themselves in a position where they are “less powerful,” than they were a few years ago during the #StopHateforProfit boycott against then-Facebook, said Courtney Werpy, Collective Measure’s associate director of performance media. In 2020, more than 500 brands including Coca-Cola, Ford, and Starbucks pulled their advertising in protest against Facebook’s handling of hate speech and misinformation.

“Brands feel less powerful. They have less of a say, and with the political polarization of all these social media channels, it’s hard for brands to know if they should speak up or if they shouldn’t,” Werpy added.

Brands that were once vociferous about stronger brand safety measures are now uncertain about how to navigate the evolving political terrain, said Shamsul Chowdhury, evp of paid social at Jellyfish.

“What was once considered unsafe is now viewed with more leniency and is less of a concern,” Chowdhury said. “This shift likely reflects changes in the political climate and brands’ increasing willingness to appear in environments they would have avoided in the past.”

Some advertisers are still thinking about fleeing, however. Roughly 10% of clients at growth marketing agency We Are Rival are considering pausing ad spend on Meta due to these changes. Jenna Cummings, We Are Rival’s co-founder and chief media officer, warned that pausing or pulling ad spend is not practical for most advertisers.

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