Although Facebook failed to maintain the independence of elections on the social network in 2016, as highlighted in the Cambridge Analytica case (see EUROPE 11999), it now says that it is ready to meet the challenge in 2018. In a publication on Thursday, the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, outlined his battle strategy.
Speaking on Twitter on Monday 17 September the European Commissioner for Justice, Věra Jourová, welcomed all these good intentions and added that she expected the social network to be finally ready for the European elections in 2019.
Last week the Commission effectively unveiled a range of measures and recommendations to guarantee an election environment free from outside manipulation by the time of this crucial election (see EUROPE 12094).
Waging war on bogus accounts
This year, Facebook intends to continue to track down bogus accounts, a significant online misinformation channel. To this end, the social network has set up systems that will help block millions of bogus account every day.
In total it is expected that more than one billion bogus accounts will have been closed down between October and March 2018 - the vast majority of them within minutes after they have been set up, explained the young US billionaire.
He admitted, however, that “These systems will never be perfect, but by investing in artificial intelligence and more people, we will continue to improve”.
Reducing dissemination of fake news
Overall, Facebook identified three channels used for disseminating online misinformation of a political nature: bogus accounts, “spammers” motivated for economic reasons and even ordinary users who are often unaware that they are disseminating fake news.
The response provided has varied according to the different categories. With regard to misinformation that can incite violence, Facebook is immediately shutting the content down. In other cases, the social network is focusing on reducing the dissemination of information rather than removing it.
Mr Zuckerberg explained “the key is to disrupt their economic incentives”. Therefore, one of Facebook's strategies consists of banning bogus accounts and people identified as often responsible for disseminating fake news as a means of advertising.
The task is complicated for ordinary users. When a publication is flagged up as possibly fake and becomes viral, it is subject to “independent fact checkers”. If the news is judged fake, the publication will be downgraded on the social network and will on average lose 80% of its future “views”.
Removing the veil on political advertising
Another positive resolution involves making advertising announcers responsible for what they put online (see EUROPE 11992). Mr Zuckerberg provided assurances that companies that are involved in certain sensitive political issues, such as civil rights or immigration in certain advertising will be subject to fact checks.
He also explained that “When deciding on this policy, we also discussed whether it would be better to ban political ads altogether”.
Although this solution may at first have appeared “simple and attractive”, Facebook ultimately rejected it. The CEO explained that this was not “because of money” but in order not to deprive users of an important tool for engaging with the political process.
According to Mr Zuckerberg, this fact checking process could also prove very expensive and would not allow the social network to make “meaningful profit” from political advertising any more. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)