Facebook will reportedly be assisted by local and global organizations in spotting and verifying these fake items. Other groups might even be called in to confirm whether the information being spread is false or not.
The company’s new policy is a response to the vicious attacks on Muslims in India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka after fake news against the group circulated on Facebook.
A spokesperson for the company said this new rule will be implemented in the coming months and will cover both image and text posts.
However, only posts that encourage physical harm or violence will be taken down. Fake news that doesn’t fall into this category will just be de-emphasized in the News Feed. The company explained in a statement that reducing the spread of misinformation “strikes the right balance between free expression and a safe and authentic community.”
Facebook’s new policy is a sticky proposition in itself as the company wants to give people a platform to voice their opinions while also keeping the user community safe. But finding this balance will be challenging.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has already found himself on the defensive when he cited Holocaust denial as a type of post that does not deserve to be taken down.
The ensuing uproar caused Zuckerberg to clarify his comments. He explained that while he finds denying the Holocaust to be offensive personally, the platform’s goal is “not to prevent anyone from saying something untrue – but to stop fake news and misinformation spreading across [its] services.”
