Facebook stops flagging fake news because it was making the problem worse

Fake news -- or disinformation as it used to be called -- has become an increasingly serious problem as false information quickly spreads online through social media. Facebook tried to combat the problem by flagging up fake news with Disputed flags but, having discovered that this was actually making the problem worse, the social network is dropping this approach. Instead, Related Articles will be used to provide context and give alternative takes on stories. Citing academic research, Facebook says that highlighting stories as fake news with a warning flag or similar actually did nothing to stop people believing the content… [Continue Reading]