There is the unending debate on fake/false news and hoaxes headlined on Facebook this past year. Facebook does not allow ads run by advertisers that associates to stories that have been identified as false by third-party fact-checking organizations. Facebook took this issue seriously. Once identified as a false story and repeatedly shared, as they had committed repeated offenders, Facebook will not allow this to be advertised.
This action by Facebook will help lessen the circulation of fake/false news thus, keeping the Pages that outspread fake/false news from earning money. Facebook had actually discovered that certain Pages use Facebook ads to create their audiences just to specifically circulate false/fake news more predominantly. These Pages will no longer be able to buy ads on Facebook if a Page repeatedly shares stories that have been marked as false by third-party fact-checkers. Pages may be eligible to start running ads again if they stop sharing the fake/false news.
Facebook is serious about working to fight the spread of false news in three key areas because the reported existence of Fake/False news is harmful to the community and the world. These are:
- To create false news, disrupting the economic incentives;
- To curb the spread of false news, building new product; and
- When people encounter false news, helping them make more informed decisions.
The fake/false news makes the world less informed and degrades trust. Facebook is serious about taking down fake/false news as today’s update helps to interrupt the economic incentives and break the spread of fake/false news, which is another step towards building a more informed community.