Facebook has a fake news problem and the company knows it. The company has also come up with all kinds of ways of dealing with the problem, whether it be flagging posts that might be fake, offering up verified sources as alternatives, and so on. Now according to Facebook, they have announced that they will now actively take down fake news posts that encourage violence.
This is according to a report from CNBC in which a Facebook spokesperson confirmed the company’s plans. According to the spokesperson, “Reducing the distribution of misinformation—rather than removing it outright—strikes the right balance between free expression and a safe and authentic community.”
The spokesperson also adds, “There are certain forms of misinformation that have contributed to physical harm, and we are making a policy change which will enable us to take that type of content down. We will be begin implementing the policy during the coming months.” Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg also stated that the company will not be removing items even if they are fake as long as it does not contribute to violence or physical harm.
Speaking to Recode, Zuckerberg reiterated that Facebook shouldn’t be “in the business of having people at Facebook who are deciding what is true and what isn’t.” These sentiments are more or less the same as Twitter, who earlier this year stated that they are “not the arbiters of truth”.
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