Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
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Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#2Perhaps because they do not want to be considered "publishers."
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#3From what I gathered FTA it sounds like the author is putting forth the notion that Facebook is relying on old, mostly debunked theories around a "backfire effect" - when fact-checking increases polarization and results in the opposite of the intent of the fact-check.
The author then goes on to discuss how more recent studies (including their own research) and even some of the original authors of that pervious research had changed course and believe that fact-checking can indeed help course correct those misled by misinformation.
Therein lies the rub, according to the author Facebook's policies around the original research hasn't been updated to match more recent findings. This can be troubling given the stakes at hand.
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#4From what I gathered FTA it sounds like the author is putting forth the notion that Facebook is relying on old, mostly debunked theories around a "backfire effect" - when fact-checking increases polarization and results in the opposite of the intent of the fact-check. The author then goes on to discuss how more recent studies (including their own research) and even some of the original authors of that pervious resear…
Facebook would be so much better with fact-checking. It seriously would improve the state of the world.
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#5because they're an advertising company and advertising isn't based on facts?
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#6because when ppl are involved, there is no such thing as an objective fact.
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#7From what I gathered FTA it sounds like the author is putting forth the notion that Facebook is relying on old, mostly debunked theories around a "backfire effect" - when fact-checking increases polarization and results in the opposite of the intent of the fact-check. The author then goes on to discuss how more recent studies (including their own research) and even some of the original authors of that pervious resear…
Facebook would be so much better with fact-checking. It seriously would improve the state of the world.
I don't know his name, but what was your opinion on that guy from Google who said we shouldn't force women into STEM for the equality, but let them do what they want (which may not be STEM.)
Is the world better off without that opinion (or fact, depending on who you ask?)
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#8From what I gathered FTA it sounds like the author is putting forth the notion that Facebook is relying on old, mostly debunked theories around a "backfire effect" - when fact-checking increases polarization and results in the opposite of the intent of the fact-check. The author then goes on to discuss how more recent studies (including their own research) and even some of the original authors of that pervious resear…
Facebook would be so much better with fact-checking. It seriously would improve the state of the world.
What makes you think that? Their moderation team is not paid well, mostly outsourced to contracting firms, and has no accountability.
What happens when their moderation team decides some anti-vax nuttery is "a fact" and then bans anyone disagreeing?
As a reminder, this is a group that handed out punishments for pictures of infants being breastfed.
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#9The answer isn't always "a" or "b" its often shades of grey.
Re: Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
#10This article misses a crucial point: I do not want fact checked information. I do not want a ministry of Truth telling me what’s an acceptable set of statements to trust. I do not want a third party providing unsolicited opinions on how much I conform with the acceptable statements a ministry of Truth has blessed for public use.
I’ll provide three arguments. First, how will Facebook or any other entity that takes on the responsibility to fact check stand up to coordinated misinformation campaigns like “Iraq has WMDs” where an omniscient fact checker could have literally saved thousands of lives.
Second, how will Facebook or CNN or Snopes or any other entity fact check disagreeing experts on a subject - for example Sweden’s epidemiologists vs rest of the world taking opposing views on quarantine measures - is anybody at Facebook or any other place qualified to fact check Sweden’s top government advisers?
Third, how will Facebook or any single entity fact check unqualified experts on subjects? When Albert Einstein submitted his paper on the Photoelectric effect (which eventually won him a Nobel Prize) he didn’t have a Ph.D nor was he enrolled as a student - he was just an anonymous clerk at a patent office. Today’s reddit would brand him an “armchair physicist” conducting thought experiments. How on earth will Facebook or any Ministry of Truth attempt to fact check anything like this?
So, if you rule out Facebook’s ability to fact check coordinated government propaganda, government policy advisors that are literally balancing lives and the economy and fundamental advances in science, what else is there to fact check?
A fact checker can only end up becoming a re-enforcement mechanism for popularly held beliefs. Let’s ask Galelio how that worked out for him.