Facebook to toughen rules on ads in move to tackle fake news

FACEBOOK WILL ALSO STEP UP ITS MONITORING OF HATE SPEECH, ADDING 3,000 CONTENT REVIEWERS TO NEARLY DOUBLE THE SIZE OF ITS TEAM

COLOGNE: Facebook said on Wednesday it would introduce tougher rules on who can make money from advertising on its network, responding to criticism that it makes it too easy for providers of fake news and sensational headlines to cash in.

With immediate effect, the largest social network will launch new standards to provide clearer guidance on which publishers are eligible to earn money on Facebook and with what content, senior vice president for global marketing solutions Carolyn Everson wrote in a blog.

These standards would apply to ad placements where context could matter, she wrote, timed to coincide with an appearance on Wednesday by Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg at dmexco, a major digital marketing gathering in Cologne.

To make money on Facebook, content creators and publishers will have to comply with its so-called community standards, which seek to ensure that content is authentic, not offensive and adheres to its guidelines.

Those publishing content flagged as misinformation or false news may be ruled ineligible to profit from Facebook, as would creators of clickbait and sensationalism, according to the rules seen by Reuters.