Facebook has created a new tool that aims to help you spot fake news on your own.
The new tool will appear at the top of the News Feed for Facebook users in 14 different countries, and contains educational guidance on how to uncover false stories. The tool was created in partnership with First Draft, a non-profit organisation that aims to improve the skills and standards of reporting and sharing information online.
“We know people want to see accurate information on Facebook – and so do we,” writes Adam Mosseri, Facebook’s VP of the News Feed. “
To tackle fake news, Facebook says it has been focusing on three “key areas”. The first is disrupting economic incentives, because Facebook argues that most false news is financially motivated. The second is building new products – like the new tool – to “curb the spread of false news”. And the third is helping people make more informed decisions when they encounter false news”
When you click on the educational tool at the top of your News Feed, you’ll see more information and resources in Facebook’s Help Centre. There will be tips on how to spot fake news, like checking the URL of a website, investigating the source, and looking for other reports on the same topic.
Mosseri continues: “News Feed is a place for authentic communication. Improving news literacy is a global priority, and we need to do our part to help people understand how to make decisions about which sources to trust.”
He adds: “False news runs counter to our mission to connect people with the stories they find meaningful. We will continue working on this and we know we have more work to do.”
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How do you think Facebook could better tackle fake news? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.