The astonishing oscilloscope of election interference on the world ’s biggest social platform came glaringly to light following the 2016 presidential election . The issue is hardly break up , so it should not number as a surprise that Facebook has created a squad — and a way — dedicated to weeding out disinformation in the run - up to the U.S. midterm examination elections . It ’s called — very in earnest — the War Room .
The New York Times published a reportdetailing Facebook ’s so - call War Room on Wednesday . According to the report , there are over 300 people working on Facebook ’s push for election security measure , but only 20 people will work out of the War Room , “ focused on rooting out disinformation , monitor false news and delete fake accounts that may be attempt to influence elector before come elections in the United States , Brazil and other land . ”
The War Room itself — which , according to a photo from the New York Times report , is literally label as such in fat , reddish missive on a sign taped to the door — be on Facebook ’s master campus in a new constructed conference room . It ’ll officially open up on Monday , a piddling less than two months out from the midterms and just a calendar month ahead of Brazil ’s presidential election . Samidh Chakrabarti , Facebook ’s elections and civic interlocking team track , characterized the War Room as a “ last line of defense ” when it comes to rooting out disinformation around election period .
Facebook , of course , drew inspiration from political safari when developing the room . It ’ll use software program make by the fellowship to go after content on the political platform in real - prison term . The New York Times describes Facebook ’s dashboard as follows :
“ These dashboard resemble a set of line and legal profession graph with statistic that leave a persuasion into how activity on the platform is change . They permit employee to zero in on , say , a specific assumed news show story in broad circulation or a stiletto heel in automate bill being created in a particular geographic area . ”
According to the report , these dashboards will place “ strange activity , ” including capacity that could lead to violence in real lifespan . As we ’ve seen with thespread of disinformation in Myanmar — namely around mean content targeting the Moslem universe in the realm — a loser to keep the spread of this type of content has sedate , real - reality consequence .
Chakrabarti tell the New York Times that the War Room squad will also “ actively remove post ” with misinformation around elections as well as acts of voter suppression . “ The good result for us is that nothing pass off in the War Room , ” Chakrabarti told the New York Times . “ Everything else we are doing is defense reaction we are putting down to intercept this in the first place . ”
Facebook ’s hump anti - disinformation endeavor , as they stand , are mainlyoutsourced to third parties , and have appeared largely data-based andsometimes bias . A Facebook spokespersontold Gizmodo last monththat the societal web does not have an in - house squad dedicate to fact - checking , but this War Room points to a future in which Facebook begins tackling one of its most — if not its most — menacing effect from the interior .
But until that War Room work really gets started , all we have is some improbably on - the - nose Puerto Rico .
[ The New York Times ]
Election Security
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