Facebook set to print newspaper tips on how to spot ‘fake news’
Facebook is to print adverts containing tips on how to spot fake news, the social network has said.
The adverts will appear in national newspapers from today. They will advise Facebook users to “be sceptical of headlines” and check other reports on the same subject before believing a story.
The social media giant has been heavily criticised for its handling of fake news content, with MPS among those warning the site must do more.
Facebook claims that it has already removed “thousands” of fake accounts in the UK fol- lowing a new drive to identify and shut down such content.
Simon Milner, the tech firm’s director of policy in the UK, said: “People want to see accurate information on Facebook and so do we. That is why we are doing everything we can to tackle the problem of false news. We have developed new ways to identify and remove fake accounts that might be spreading false news so that we get to the root of the problem.”
The new adverts are an extension of the online notice that first appeared on the news feeds of Facebook users last month.
That came after Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was forced to defend the site after the united State selection amid claims that fake news stories in support of Donald Trump could have aided his victory.