fake news
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Facebook will prioritize original reporting in its News Feed
In an effort to prioritize original reporting, Facebook is updating the way it ranks news stories in News Feed.
Facebook will tell you when you're about to share old news
You'll see a notification when you're linking to something more than 90 days old.
Google adds fact checking to image searches
Google has introduced fact checking information to image searches, reducing the chances that you'll be caught out by a fake.
Twitter test asks you to open an article before you share it
Twitter is testing a feature on Android that asks if you want to read an article before you share it.
EU wants Facebook, Twitter to report monthly on fight against fake news
The EU wants Facebook, Google and Twitter to provide monthly reports on their fight against fake news.
Facebook will verify identities for suspiciously popular accounts
Facebook is now verifying IDs for profiles that have both suspicious behavior and posts that quickly go viral.
China reportedly spread COVID-19 misinformation
A report by The New York Times claims Chinese operatives helped spread false COVID-19 information via text and social media across the US.
Facebook warns users who 'interacted' with COVID-19 misinformation
Facebook will also expand its “Get the Facts” COVID-19 information center to Facebook News in the US.
Google invests $6.5 million to fight coronavirus-related misinformation
When it comes to a potentially deadly respiratory disease like COVID-19, accurate and reliable information can be the difference between life and death. To that end, Google says it will provide $6.5 million in funding to organizations combating misinformation around the globe, with "an immediate focus on coronavirus." The initiative will see the company approach the problem from several different angles, working with a broad slate of non-profits.
Google updates its Discover Feed to let you flag misleading articles
If you're a frequent Pixel or Google app user, you're probably familiar with the Discover Feed. In its various iterations over the last few years, Google has consistently tried to make it a go-to for finding news related to your interests. However, it recently started updating the tool to make it easier for people to report articles they think are misleading or harmful.
Facebook labels manipulated video of Biden 'endorsing' Trump as 'partly false'
Twitter isn't the only one flagging a manipulated Trump video to warn users. Facebook has labeled a video of presidential hopeful Joe Biden appearing to endorse Trump as "partly false information," citing independent fact-checking from Lead Stories. The company told Engadget in a statement that it was both "reducing [the video's] distribution" and applying warning labels, and that it was applying the treatment to a politician just as it would for a bogus video shared by anyone else.
Facebook bans coronavirus ads that promote 'cures' and fan hysteria
Facebook is doubling down on its bid to stop the spread of coronavirus misinformation. Following its announcement of plans to flag and remove false information, the platform will now also ban ads that promise to cure or prevent the virus, as well as those that "create a sense of urgency" about it.
Twitter tests labeling and correcting misleading tweets from politicians
Twitter is testing a new feature that -- if implemented -- will prominently flag misleading tweets from politicians and other public figures, according to NBC News. As seen below, the feature adds red and orange badges to tweets the company has deemed "harmfully misleading," followed by information from verified fact-checkers and journalists.
Reuters joins Facebook's fact-checking program
Reuters, one of the world's biggest news agencies, is joining Facebook's third-party fact-checking program. First launched in 2016, the program has tried to curb the spread of disinformation on the social network with help from organizations like the Associated Press, PolitiFact and Factcheck.org. As part of the partnership, Reuters has created a new team dedicated to verifying content that people share through Facebook, with the social media giant paying Reuters for the service.
Facebook says Asian mobile networks were running fake news pages
"Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior" is Facebook's euphemism for nefarious groups doing their best to skew public opinion on the site. Every now and again, the network reveals which nation states are trying to influence people by pretending to be someone else. This time, however, it's not a country that Facebook is jabbing its accusatory fingers at, but Vietnam's state-owned mobile network, its Myanmar-based subsidiary and a PR agency it has connections with.
Tumblr's digital literacy campaign targets fake news and bullying
Tumblr is launching a year-long digital literacy campaign to fight fake news, cyberbullying and other toxic internet behavior. Tumblr hopes the campaign, dubbed World Wide What, will spread internet safety awareness and start healthy conversations with the Tumblr community. (Full disclosure: Tumblr has ties to Verizon, Engadget's parent company.)
Spotify will 'pause' airing political ads in early 2020
Spotify, not Facebook, has become the latest tech company to rethink its approach to political ads. Starting early next year, the streaming giant will stop running political ads. Spotify told Ad Age it will "pause" political advertising across both its free ad-supported tier and during any original podcasts it makes. The move will apply only to the US, since it's the one market in which Spotify currently airs such advertisements. Third-party podcasts will still be able to embed political ads in their recordings as long as they adhere to Spotify's content policy.
Facebook bans hundreds of misleading accounts that targeted US users
Facebook has removed a network of foreign actors that was spreading misinformation aimed at US users. The operation posted content related to current affairs in the US, with much of it in support of President Donald Trump. According to the company, approximately 55 million accounts, the majority of which it claims are from outside the US, followed one or more of the operation's pages. The group frequently used fake accounts to direct people to news sites off of Facebook.
Facebook helped Reuters create an online course on identifying deepfakes
Reuters has released a new 45-minute online course designed to help give journalists the tools they need to spot and avoid sharing manipulated pictures, videos and audio clips. While deepfakes are obviously a major component of the material, there's also advice on how to approach real media that's been co-opted so that it presents an entirely different story than it did originally. Even if you're not a journalist, you can check out the course for free.
Fake news can help you kill the world in 'Plague Inc.'
Strategy game Plague Inc. has been around for ages, but its makers are still working on ways to keep it relevant and interesting. The game, which sees players do their best to wipe out the world with infectious disease, was given an anti-vaxxer scenario earlier this year. Now, the potentially-devastating phenomenon of fake news is on the agenda, too.
