Every day, countless news stories are shared on social media, many of which include inaccurate or misleading claims. This has led to a decline in trust in social media news and has disrupted the objectivity of current events coverage.
Posts and updates about current events often instill fear among social media users, resulting in significant misinformation. Recently, the spread of misleading news during the U.S. elections further eroded trust in social media as a reliable source of information.
In response, Facebook has begun testing its “Fake News Filter” feature to prevent similar situations during the upcoming elections in Germany. Initially tested in Germany, the feature will allow Facebook users in the country to report suspicious or dubious news sources.
Content flagged as questionable will be sent to Correctiv (a collaborative news verification platform). The platform’s content personnel will evaluate the flagged news to determine whether it constitutes fake or misleading information. If a story is deemed false or deceptive, Facebook will limit its visibility by showing it to fewer users and pushing it down the news feed.
Facebook’s news feed is the most widely used social network globally, and the company has taken action to curb the rapid spread of fake or misleading news. Starting with the U.S., and now expanding to Germany, the Fake News Filter will soon be rolled out in other countries as part of Facebook’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of its platform.