Facebook's latest feature enables group admins to withdraw false information
The tool allows group admins to automatically quarantine new posts tagged as containing false information and previously posted claims that were later proven false, according to Facebook.
FollowFacebook added a feature that allows group administrators to automatically weed out claims that have been debunked since they were posted. The ability for group administrators to send misinformation to a 'quarantine queue' comes ahead of the US midterm elections. Also, Facebook-parent Meta is still under fire for not doing enough to stifle false material on its platforms.
According to Facebook, the tool allows group administrators to automatically quarantine new posts tagged as containing false information and previously posted claims later proven false.
According to Facebook CEO Tom Alison, "Group admins can automatically move posts containing information rated as false by third-party fact-checkers to pending posts so that the admins can review the posts before deleting them. This helps to ensure that content is more trustworthy for the broader community."
In March, Facebook began allowing groups to automatically reject new posts identified as containing false information, aiming for a segment of the massive network that piqued misinformation watchdogs' interest. Facebook Groups, which allow members to gather around topics ranging from parenting to politics, are used by over 1.8 billion people monthly.
However, critics have claimed that the groups are ripe for spreading misleading or false information as they frequently attract large audiences of like-minded users organised around a specific topic. The misinformation-sifting tool was one of the enhancements to make group management easier for administrators.
"There are over 100 million new group memberships on Facebook every day, which is kind of incredible," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post, adding that the company will continue to develop new features for "even deeper connections around shared interests."
According to Alison, the evolution of groups is part of Meta's vision of a future in which life online takes place in virtual worlds known as the metaverse. "Technology is rapidly evolving," Alison said at the summit.
"More specifically, we're evolving it, investing in products and research that will aid in realising the metaverse."
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