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Facebook moves to reduce reach of groups spreading fake news

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Social media giants Facebook has announced moves to address ‘problematic content’ on its platform, including reducing the reach of Groups that spread misinformation, Slash Gear reports.

This restriction will apply to Groups that ‘repeatedly’ share the content, according to Facebook, which also plans to reduce the amount of low-quality content its users see in their News Feed.

The changes are part of the “remove, reduce, and inform” strategy Facebook introduced in 2016 amid its reckoning with fake news related to the election. A variety of hot button topics remain problematic for the company, including the presence of anti-vaxers who use the platform to spread misinformation related to vaccinations.

Read also: Chinese doctors perform surgery from hundreds of miles away with use of 5G

As part of its “reduce” approach, Facebook plans to limit the content you’ll see in your News Feed from Groups that repeatedly share misinformation. As well, the company is implementing a Click-Gap signal that it says will make sure its users see less of this low-quality content ranking in their News Feeds.

Facebook is also expanding the amount of content that will be reviewed by the Associated Press as a third-party fact-checker, and it is collaborating with outside experts on ‘new ways to fight’ fake news on its platform, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

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