FACEBOOK Latest Apps: Users Can Now Flag Deceptive Stories

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

FACEBOOK Latest Apps: Users Can Now Flag Deceptive Stories

Facebook is now giving users an option to flag stories as hoaxes in a bid to stop the spread of misinformation on it’s most prestigious platform. Independent report.

If we recall, the woman who had plastic surgery to give her three breasts? Or Apple’s Wave technology that promised to let you charge your iPhone 6 in the microwave? Or the website that threatened to leak Emma Watson’s nude photos online?

None of these stories were true, but all of them were widely reported and spread like wildfire throughout social media.

It’s well known that the social network is incredibly powerful for spreading information as well as misinformation so false information and unsubstantiated rumours can quickly gather credibility if they are widely shared.

In recognition of this, Facebook wants to reduce the visibility and distribution of those posts that many people have reported as a hoax.

The site will also add an annotation to these reports to warn others that people have reported the story as fake.

The new ‘hoax’ reporting tool should clamp down on sites that claim to be satirical but seem to lack any of the humour of proper satirical sites and frequently leave people confused – such as National Report.