UPDATED 17:28 EST / OCTOBER 05 2017

APPS

Facebook tests out info button aimed at fighting fake news

Facebook Inc. has had problems with hoaxes and fake news throughout most of its history, but the social network is now under more scrutiny than ever before, especially after it recently came to light that Russian organizations bought political ads on Facebook during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Now, after working on a few programs over the last year to fight fake news, the social media giant is testing out a new feature aimed at helping users decide if a news source is trustworthy or not.

Facebook announced today that it is testing out a new button on certain articles shared through News Feed that users can tap to view additional information about the story without having to leave Facebook.

The company said the extra content is pulled from elsewhere on Facebook as well as from other news sources. The context button links to related or trending news articles on the same topic, and it also provides information on how and where that article is being shared. Facebook says it will also let users know if that information is not available because that knowledge can “also be helpful context.”

“Helping people access this important contextual information can help them evaluate if articles are from a publisher they trust, and if the story itself is credible,” Facebook said in a statement. “This is just the beginning of the test. We’ll continue to listen to people’s feedback and work with publishers to provide people easy access to the contextual information that helps people decide which stories to read, share, and trust, and to improve the experiences people have on Facebook.”

The test is part of the broader Facebook Journalism Project, which Facebook launched in January to support quality journalism on its platform. Facebook Director of Product Fidji Simo said at the time that the company would be “collaborating with news organizations to develop products, learning from journalists about ways we can be a better partner, and working with publishers and educators on how we can equip people with the knowledge they need to be informed readers in the digital age.”

Cracking down on fake news may be helpful for Facebook users and for the social media landscape in general, but the new context button also has a clear benefit for Facebook: It keeps users from leaving the Facebook app. This means that users spend more time viewing ads on Facebook, which translates directly to more revenue for the social network.

Photo: geralt/Pixabay

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