Take a shot every time Facebook evades editorial answerableness .
On Thursday , Facebook announcedthat it is going to use “ update machine learning ” algorithmic program so as to better spot and counter misinformation on its chopine . The company says it will use its existing third - political party fact checkers to reexamine stories that the fresh algorithm flags , and their reports may be show below flagged stories in a section called Related Articles .
TheRelated Articles feature — a list of suggested links offering varying perspective — is technically not young . Facebook started publicly testing the featurein April , but now the company is rolling out the feature more widely in the US , Germany , France , and Netherlands , TechCrunch reportedon Thursday . These are countries where Facebook already has fact find out partnerships in place .
Facebook says its object glass with Related Articles and updated machine learning technical school is to tender users more context on the robustness of a story they see in their provender . The company calculate to aid users make better judgment calls as to whether or not they should believe a likely hoax , or deal it to their web .
But it ’s also just another way for Facebook to remain acting like a news outletfor jillion of userswithout directly accepting any journalistic responsibility .
“ We do n’t need to be and are not the arbiters of the truth , ” Facebook News Feed integrity production manager Tessa Lyons told TechCrunch . “ The fact checkers can give the sign of whether a story is true or put on . ”
But while Facebook does not need to be seen as the government agency over what stories are permitted on its weapons platform , it is . By designate the subjective work to non - Facebook employee and leaning on motorcar learning technology , Facebook still gets to wield its influence as an editorial outlet without being labeled as one . And if any mistakes are made — like if a politically - charged story is wrong flagged as a dupery , or if Facebook incidentally recommends fake news — Facebook can now more easy shift blame to a glitch or a third - company .
Facebook has n’t shared why its update machine erudition algorithm is now more capable than it once was — or if a previous version was ever widely in use on users ’ Newsfeeds before today . But the company is seemingly perdition - bent on try out to fix its misinformation problem ( the one Mark Zuckerbergonce blew off ) out in the open . The shadowy part is , Facebook wants to do this without being take for straight responsible for how it handles a likely hoax . Facebook is n’t calling the shot , the machine are .
Daily Newsletter
Get the unspoiled technical school , skill , and culture news in your inbox day by day .
News from the future tense , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
