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HomeOther'sTechnologyFacebook To Test "Read First" Popup Against Misinformation and Fake News; Reports

Facebook To Test “Read First” Popup Against Misinformation and Fake News; Reports

Facebook is testing to add yet another feature for better usage of the platform. This new tool will ask the users if they have read the article they are about to share on their timeline.

Facebook Encourages Sharing of Informed Articles

Facebook took to Twitter to announce that they are testing a way to promote more informed sharing of news articles. This would mean that whenever a user shares a link they haven’t opened, Facebook would show a pop-up notification encouraging them to read it before sharing it with others.

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However, this doesn’t mean that it can’t be shared unless they have read it. The test will be rolled out to 6 percent of Android users across the world. This move is being made to ensure a curb on the spread and the distribution of false information on the platform.

The pop-up message is expected to warn the users that if they don’t open the link and read through the article, they would be missing key facts. This move is the part of the plan to demote the content on both Facebook and Instagram that their system may predict to be misinformation. It also includes debunking claims about voting.

The company last year said that they are also working towards limiting live videos during the election times on Facebook.

Facebook Accused of Neglecting Covid 19 News

Earlier last month, a campaign group Avaaz analyzed misinformation being spread about Covid 19 on Facebook. They analyzed posts from December 7, 2020, to February 7, 2020, for fact-checking. In the investigation, they found out that 56 percent of the misinformation was being spread in the non-English European languages and wasn’t acted upon by the company.

ALSO READ:Facebook to help users with information about Covid symptoms, vaccines 

Senior Global campaigner Andy Legon said that Facebook has a huge “Europe-sized blindspot” regarding the Covid 19 misinformation.
In the investigation, they found out that the Italians were least protected from misinformation with 69 percent content left unchecked. And the Spanish were highest protected with 33 percent of the information left.