Meta's mobile apps are free to use.
Mostly true True in substance, wrong in a detail.
Factual: Statements about the present or the past, checked against the record: did they hold up?
The second judge would not resolve this claim; the verdict shown is the first judge's.
Said for an organisation they lead or work for; it counts on both records.
What would count as true or false
Judge as of 2021-10-28. True: Meta's main consumer mobile apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger) could be downloaded and used without charge, funded mainly by advertising. Mostly true: the core apps were free but some minor paid features or niche paid apps existed. Mixed: a substantial share of Meta's mobile apps required payment. Mostly false: basic use was free but key features commonly required payment. False: Meta's main mobile apps required payment to use.
Set before the research began.
Evidence (4)
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E1 Meta Connect 2021 Metaverse Event Transcript | Rev Rev · 28 October 2021 Own record
“Our mobile apps are free. Our ads business models, and auction, which guarantees every business the most competitive price possible.”
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E2 Mark Zuckerberg takes thinly veiled shots at Apple for 'stifling innovation' via its platform policies | TechCrunch TechCrunch · 28 October 2021
“Those revenues over the years have allowed Facebook to invest in other sectors, in addition to keeping its apps free, Zuckerberg noted.”
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E3 Mark Zuckerberg takes thinly veiled shots at Apple for 'stifling innovation' via its platform policies | TechCrunch TechCrunch · 28 October 2021
“Facebook has to pay fees on in-app purchases to the app stores — including when users subscribe to creators, buy badges or tip streamers directly, for example.”
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E4 Messenger App - App Store Apple App Store (listing text by Meta Platforms, Inc.) · 17 October 2020 Own record
“Be together whenever, with our free* all-in-one communication app, complete with unlimited text, voice, video calling and group video chat features.”
Reasoning
Meta's App Store listing for Messenger calls it a free app (E4). Same-day TechCrunch coverage says ad revenue has let the company keep its apps free (E2), though it attributes that point to Zuckerberg. TechCrunch also reports that the apps contain paid in-app purchases, such as creator subscriptions, badges and tips for streamers (E3). The core apps were free to download and use, with some optional paid features, which matches the "mostly true" criterion.
Cite this claim
Mark Zuckerberg, “Meta's mobile apps are free to use.” (said 28 October 2021). Verdict: mostly true. Reliability API, claim c_8d548ec0182f, method 0.1.0+3f84d14d, dataset release v1.1.2. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_8d548ec0182f
This claim is in dataset release v1.1.2, with the same verdict.
Reply to this claim
More factual claims by Mark Zuckerberg
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Mostly true
“We have seen large increases in Meta AI use since releasing the updates, and the Meta AI app has consistently been near the top of the app stores as well.”
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Resolved true
“More than 3.5 billion people use at least one of our apps every day.”
More than 3.5 billion people use at least one Meta app every day.
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Resolved true
“We released Ray-Ban MetaOptics this quarter designed for all-day wear rather than primarily as sunglasses.”
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Mostly true
“I outlined thematically a bunch of these in the upfront comments around personal AI, around LLMs, combining with the recommendation systems.”
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Resolved true
“Dina Powell McCormick also joined us as president and vice chairman.”
Dina Powell McCormick joined Meta as president and vice chairman.
Verdicts are made automatically; how verdicts are made.