Facebook to Identify State-Run Media
October 21 2019 - 2:57PM
Dow Jones News
By Patrick Thomas
Facebook Inc. said it is taking additional steps to protect the
integrity of the 2020 U.S. elections, including clearer
identification of state-run media on its platform.
The social-media giant said Monday it will begin flagging such
outlets as being wholly or partially under the editorial control of
their home government. In early 2020, the company plans to extend
the labeling to specific posts and, as well, to its Instagram
platform.
"We will hold these pages to a higher standard of transparency
because they combine the opinion-making influence of a media
organization with the strategic backing of a state," Facebook said
in a blog post on its website.
The company said it is also adding a security tool for political
candidates to guard against hacking attempts.
Facebook has faced immense criticism of its political
advertising policies and its handling of misinformation. Earlier
this month, Sen. Elizabeth Warren attempted to turn those policies
against the company, running an ad with a false claim about
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Other outlined steps to protect the integrity of the coming
election include putting more prominent labels on posts proven
false by third-party fact checkers.
Facebook said it will also add more information about the owner
of pages if it notices a failure to disclose the organization
behind pages, leading people to think they are run independently.
Facebook said it is adding a tab that includes the organization's
legal name and verified city, phone number or website.
The company also plans to ban paid advertising that suggests
voting is useless or meaningless, or advises people not to
vote.
Write to Patrick Thomas at Patrick.Thomas@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 21, 2019 14:42 ET (18:42 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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