How can you report fake news on Facebook?
More than 60% of the adult population is prone to receiving and spreading false news on social media. It is very easy to fall for the misinformation spread in fake news on Facebook, Twitter, and even in digital media. This is because many sources of “fake news” are disseminated with the aim of manipulating public opinion in different areas. Despite the fact that managers of social networks affirm that they have control measures for these problems, this does not reduce their incidence worldwide. In that case, what can we do about fake news?
Generally, fake news on Facebook or a social network with a large volume of active users generates six times more interactions than legitimate information. This fact generates an increase in the pressure and responsibility of technology companies to confirm and authenticate said news.
An example of taking action by one of these companies was in 2018 when Facebook launched certain measures to deal with misinformation on its platform: a search initiative, a news literacy campaign, and control of the work done in News Feed. Simultaneously, he announced that all false information that is harmful to any user would be removed immediately.
Similarly, a common user can report fake news on Facebook with its reporting procedure. When you come across fake news, you must first tap on the three dots icon. In the drop-down menu choose “Report publication”, and choose the reason for “False information”. The news is categorized as false and the “Send” button is touched.
Fake news on Facebook: How do I know if the news is fake or true?
In order to identify what information is falsified, it is first necessary to define what false news is. Beyond misinformation or erroneously exposed data, false news or ” fake news ” can be distinguished by its fraudulent content, with suspicious intentions and inappropriate use of the platform. As well as the speed and extension of the diffusion and the format of the news.
Social networks are the platforms with the highest incidence of this problem because their business model is based on the dissemination of information and content generation on their own land. In the same way, fake news on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and more social networks can vary depending on the degree of fraudulent content:
- Those of a satirical type is not intended to harm but have the potential to deceive
- Misleading content distorts information to compromise a problem
- There is legitimate information that is being framed in a false context
- The imposter impersonates genuine sources
- There is information or images that are manipulated to deceive
- Fabricated content involves new content that is completely false and is designed to mislead and cause harm.
With the speed of spread that fake news has on Facebook and other platforms, it is possible that this problem can only be completely solved with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning. In response to this, it will be necessary for these companies to have allies to protect the diversity and sustainability of the media, promoting integrity.
How does Facebook detect fake news?
From the point of view of the team responsible for the proper use of the Facebook platform, different ways of promoting the pressure of the news have been developed. These measures to find, analyze and remove fake news on Facebook are part of a larger working mechanism. First is the removal of fake accounts. The platform deletes said accounts and allow other users to know the creation data of this account.
Just as the closure of fake accounts is promoted, fraudulent or suspicious accounts will be removed. That is, all those pages that are identified as fraudulent and those that are associated with them will be closed. In the same way, those pages identified as malicious will be subject to an advertisement purchase and monetization restriction.
The Facebook platform collaborates with third parties in the journalistic sector to carry out a process of evaluation, advice, and identification of false news, foreseeing the use of machine learning. Finally, the platform sends all the news considered false to News Feed and, at the same time, neutral articles are offered to contrast said content.
Does Facebook limit or protect against fake news?
Currently, all social media platforms are working to protect their users from false news or fake news. Whether by monitoring your team of managers or automated tools for the task, a process of identifying fraudulent content and its next removal is carried out.
In the case of the action plan to limit the spread of false news on Facebook, the company has focused on attacking three elements: cutting economic incentives, developing new products that help curb the spread of false news, and helping to obtain more legitimate information before making decisions.
In addition, Facebook has worked with its partners such as First Draft to protect users. First Draft is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving Internet usage standards. The developed tool includes several tricks to detect fake news. For example, checking website URLs, identifying sources, and finding related articles.
Recent initiatives by Facebook include a Social Sciences investigative study to assess the impact of Facebook fake news on political elections, a news literacy campaign to educate the digital public to recognize fake news, and a 12-minute informational video titled “Face the Truth,” which is a behind-the-scenes tour of how a data science executive uses artificial intelligence to identify fake news.
Removal Media‘s team of specialists will help you protect your digital reputation from false or harmful news. If you want to transform what the Internet says about you, contact our technicians with the details of your case and we will find the ideal solution for you.