• Latest
  • Trending
Social networks face quandary on politics in misinformation fight

Social networks face quandary on politics in misinformation fight

October 11, 2019
NATO marks 70 years with mutual suspicion and insults

NATO marks 70 years with mutual suspicion and insults

December 3, 2019
Troubled Nato not in party mood for 70th birthday

Troubled Nato not in party mood for 70th birthday

December 3, 2019
Will the New EU Commission Be French or German?

Will the New EU Commission Be French or German?

December 3, 2019
Johnson ‘will have to call second referendum if he fails to win majority’

Johnson ‘will have to call second referendum if he fails to win majority’

December 2, 2019
As Nato turns 70, can this feuding global family patch things up?

As Nato turns 70, can this feuding global family patch things up?

December 2, 2019
Macron’s NATO Bashing, Global Cluelessness Could Throw Europe into Despair

Macron’s NATO Bashing, Global Cluelessness Could Throw Europe into Despair

December 2, 2019
Paris and Berlin at odds, but talk of rupture overblown

Paris and Berlin at odds, but talk of rupture overblown

December 1, 2019
General election 2019: Politicians share security plans in BBC debate

General election 2019: Politicians share security plans in BBC debate

December 1, 2019
The benefits of political fragmentation

The benefits of political fragmentation

December 1, 2019
NATO countries boost defense spending ahead of summit showdown with Trump

NATO countries boost defense spending ahead of summit showdown with Trump

December 1, 2019
Johnson Tries ‘Trumpian Protectionism’ to Woo Labour Brexit Vote

Johnson Tries ‘Trumpian Protectionism’ to Woo Labour Brexit Vote

December 1, 2019
Turkey’s Erdogan lashes out at Macron over Nato ‘brain dead’ comment

Turkey’s Erdogan lashes out at Macron over Nato ‘brain dead’ comment

December 1, 2019
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
No Result
View All Result
  • World
    • Africa
    • Canada
    • Caribbean
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Europe
      • France News
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • Russia
    • Southeast Asia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Freedom
    • American Patriots
      • Founding Fathers
      • Heroines of the Revolution
    • Brigade 2506
    • Free Speech
    • French Resistance
    • Generation Identitaire
    • Heroes
      • Charles Martel
      • William Wallace
    • Heroic Ladies
    • WWII
  • Religion
  • Women & Children
  • Terrorism
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Education
    • Films & TV
    • Food & Drink
    • History
    • Music
    • Privacy
    • Racism
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Tourism
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Free Market
    • Industry
  • Politics
    • National Security
    • Law
  • World
    • Africa
    • Canada
    • Caribbean
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Europe
      • France News
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • Russia
    • Southeast Asia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Freedom
    • American Patriots
      • Founding Fathers
      • Heroines of the Revolution
    • Brigade 2506
    • Free Speech
    • French Resistance
    • Generation Identitaire
    • Heroes
      • Charles Martel
      • William Wallace
    • Heroic Ladies
    • WWII
  • Religion
  • Women & Children
  • Terrorism
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Education
    • Films & TV
    • Food & Drink
    • History
    • Music
    • Privacy
    • Racism
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Tourism
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Free Market
    • Industry
  • Politics
    • National Security
    • Law
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

Social networks face quandary on politics in misinformation fight

October 11, 2019
in Europe, Featured, Politics, Technology
0
Home World Europe
Post Views: 5

 

As social media firms ramp up their fight against misinformation, politicians have been largely left exempt. To some, that’s a huge problem.

Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms have decided to allow politicians including President Donald Trump extra leeway to their rules, seeking to avoid stifling political debate and leaving “newsworthy” content online.

But Trump’s efforts to push falsehoods and conspiracy theories have prompted calls for platforms to rethink those guidelines to prevent the president and others from spreading false and misleading information.

RelatedPosts

Arms sales are about profit and politics, not ethics

‘New Revolution:’ Algeria Calls for New Generation of Politics

Twitter’s political ad ban raises one big issue: what exactly is an ‘issue’?

Facebook’s Libra faces eurozone backlash

UK minister blames Bercow for making October Brexit ‘very difficult’

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden recently asked Facebook to take down “debunked” claims in a Trump ad on the leading social network, only to be rebuffed.

In a response to Biden, Facebook said statements by politicians, even if false, are “considered direct speech and ineligible for our third-party fact checking program.”

Senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris meanwhile called on Twitter to ban Trump after the president violated the platform’s rules by accusing his critics of “treason” and warning that an attempt to impeach him amounted to a “coup.”

The candidates’ demands are typical of the conundrum social media firms face as they seek to remain open for public debate while curbing “hate speech,” abusive conduct and patently false claims from politicians.

Facebook and Twitter have both steered away from removing “newsworthy” content which may include false or misleading comments from political leaders. YouTube offers a similar exemption.

This policy “seems like a troubling compromise because it’s an invitation to political actors to say whatever they think is expedient whether it’s true or not,” said Paul Barrett, deputy director of the Stern Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University and author of a report on “Disinformation and the 2020 Election.”

Barrett’s report recommends that social networks take down “provably false” information, though he acknowledged that would leave big loopholes for politicians stretching the truth.

The report noted that a majority of deliberately deceptive or false information shared on social media comes not from Russia or other foreign sources but from within the United States, making it more complicated to take down.

“It’s a real conundrum. I don’t think there’s a an easy answer,” Barrett said.

– ‘Vector for misinformation’ –

Facebook vice president Nick Clegg said last month the social network would treat speech from politicians “as newsworthy content that should, as a general rule, be seen and heard.”

Gaurav Laroia of the watchdog group Free Press said exceptions allowed by Facebook means the company “is allowing its platform to be a vector for misinformation in the lead-up to the 2020 election.”

Facebook’s ad policies leave a gaping loophole for Trump, the biggest political ad spender on the platform, as he faces a congressional impeachment inquiry, according to Free Press.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, another presidential candidate, accused Facebook of buckling to pressure from the White House on political misinformation.

“Trump and (Facebook CEO Mark) Zuckerberg met at the White House two weeks ago. What did they talk about?” Warren tweeted.

“Facebook is now okay with running political ads with known lies.”

Facebook maintains it has not changed its stand but clarified a policy of steering clear of the touchy subject of moderating political speech.

“Our approach is grounded in Facebook’s fundamental belief in free expression, respect for the democratic process, and the belief that, in mature democracies with a free press, political speech is already arguably the most scrutinized speech there is,” Facebook public policy director Katie Harbath said.

– ‘They need standards’ –

Michelle Amazeen, a Boston University professor specializing in political communication, said platforms have an economic interest in attracting political ads and have been “opaque” about misinformation policies.

She said social networks are capable of rejecting ads from Trump that have debunked information.

“They need to have some standards,” Amazeen said.

Some messages, she said, are not just misleading but may incite violence or otherwise put lives in danger.

“If fact checkers have shown that a political ad is inaccurate, it should not be allowed to circulate,” she said.

Samuel Woolley, a University of Texas professor who has researched manipulation in the 2016 election campaign, agreed that social networks need to step up against misinformation, whatever the source.

“False information coming from a political leader is much more potent than if it were coming from a bot or fake account,” Woolley said.

Whether social networks have the capacity to rapidly detect and remove false information is an open question, but Woolley said it is their responsibility.

“Social media companies created this problem, they made clear decisions to scale at this rate, so I feel it’s up to them to use their massive resources to address this problem through technology and human labor,” he said.

Source :

France 24

Tags: FacebookKamala HarrismisinformationpoliticiansPoliticsSocial MediaTwitter

Related Posts

NATO marks 70 years with mutual suspicion and insults
Europe

NATO marks 70 years with mutual suspicion and insults

December 3, 2019
Troubled Nato not in party mood for 70th birthday
Europe

Troubled Nato not in party mood for 70th birthday

December 3, 2019
Will the New EU Commission Be French or German?
Europe

Will the New EU Commission Be French or German?

December 3, 2019
Johnson ‘will have to call second referendum if he fails to win majority’
Europe

Johnson ‘will have to call second referendum if he fails to win majority’

December 2, 2019
As Nato turns 70, can this feuding global family patch things up?
Europe

As Nato turns 70, can this feuding global family patch things up?

December 2, 2019
Next Post
Macron: France warned over ‘deadly Islamist ideology’

Macron: France warned over ‘deadly Islamist ideology’

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Translate

Popular Post

NATO marks 70 years with mutual suspicion and insults
Europe

NATO marks 70 years with mutual suspicion and insults

December 3, 2019
0

  After weeks of watching supposed allies trade allegations of betrayal and of insulting each others' troops, delegates to the...

Read more
Global Warming Platform Sinks Sink

Global Warming Platform Sinks Sink

March 13, 2013
The Global NGO Campaign Shift

The Global NGO Campaign Shift

August 18, 2013
Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: A Critical View of a Problematic Principle

Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: A Critical View of a Problematic Principle

August 25, 2013
The Haze: Quick to Accuse, Slow on Getting the Facts!

The Haze: Quick to Accuse, Slow on Getting the Facts!

August 28, 2013
  • About Us
  • Creative Commons
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Topics

Follow Us

About Us

Laresistance.news is part of La Resistance News LLC, which delivers daily news around the globe.

© 2011. Laresistance.news

No Result
View All Result
  • World
    • Africa
    • Canada
    • Caribbean
    • Central Asia
    • China
    • Europe
      • France News
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • Russia
    • Southeast Asia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Freedom
    • American Patriots
      • Founding Fathers
      • Heroines of the Revolution
    • Brigade 2506
    • Free Speech
    • French Resistance
    • Generation Identitaire
    • Heroes
      • Charles Martel
      • William Wallace
    • Heroic Ladies
    • WWII
  • Religion
  • Women & Children
  • Terrorism
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Education
    • Films & TV
    • Food & Drink
    • History
    • Music
    • Privacy
    • Racism
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Tourism
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Free Market
    • Industry
  • Politics
    • National Security
    • Law

© 2011. Laresistance.news