AFP to assist fact-check programme

Facebook has launched a third-party fact-checking programme in Thailand to help reduce the spread of disinformation and improve the quality of news shared online.

According to Facebook, it will work with global news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) on the task. AFP has been certified by the Poynter Institute’s non-partisan International Fact Checking Network.

Starting yesterday, AFP reviews and rates the accuracy of stories on Facebook, including photos and videos in Thailand.

“When third-party fact-checkers rate a story as false, it will appear lower in the News Feed, significantly reducing its distribution,” Facebook said.

“We believe this programme can help build a more informed community in Thailand, and we look forward to exploring more opportunities to expand this scheme locally,” said Anjali Kapoor, director of Facebook’s News Partnership in Asia-Pacific.

The programme is in line with Facebook’s three-part framework to improve the quality and authenticity of stories in the News Feed.

When third-party fact-checkers write articles about a piece of content, Facebook will show these in related articles immediately below the story in the News Feed.

Page administrators and Facebook users will also receive notifications if they try to share a post or have shared one that’s been determined to be false.

This will let users decide for themselves whether they will continue to read or share the information.

“AFP is delighted to expand our factcheck operation into Thailand, where we’ll debunk online misinformation on topics from health and science to the environment and politics,” said Cat Barton, head of AFP Fact Check Asia.