After controversial study, Facebook is changing the way it does research

Facebook is changing the way it does research after facing a widespread backlash for a study that manipulated news feeds to gauge emotional effect.

Facebook does research in fields including artificial intelligence, user experience and social science. Its new rules for research cover internal work and research that might be published. They include clearer guidelines and an enhanced review process before research can begin; a new review panel that consists of senior subject-area researchers and people from its engineering, research, legal, privacy and policy teams; better training for researchers; and a dedicated research website that will be updated regularly. The new policies are being instituted following a controversial Facebook study published in June that revealed the company had tinkered with users' emotions.