Facebook launches tips to educate users on fake news
The platform hopes that the feature, placed at the top of members’ news feeds, will help them become more savvy consumers of information.
The platform has launched a new tool that will show up at the top of users’ news feeds providing “tips for spotting false news.”
Fake news was a scourge in the most recent presidential election, and has been credited with influencing the election and increasing partisanship.
Here’s how Facebook blog post characterized the feature:
When people click on this educational tool at the top of their News Feed, they will see more information and resources in the Facebook Help Center, including tips on how to spot false news, such as checking the URL of the site, investigating the source and looking for other reports on the topic.
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.
In addition to the education component, Facebook is working to improve its ranking system by enabling users to report fake news and working with independent fact-checking organizations to spot false reporting.
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