Facebook Moves to Curtail Fake News on ‘Trending’ Feature

Facebook is overhauling its “trending topics” box, part of its effort to curb fake news and expose users to a broader range of information. Starting Jan 25, Facebook’s software will surface only topics that have been covered by a significant number of credible publishers, a move designed to cut back on hoaxes by giving more weight to information sources that have been around longer. What’s more, the topics will no longer be personalized to every Facebook user, which could puncture users’ so-called filter bubble and expose them to a variety of different news sources and events.

Facebook has changed its trending feature several times since last spring, after allegations that Facebook contract workers who selected the headlines altered what appeared, for political reasons. In August, Facebook fired the contract workers and opted for a largely software-driven approach. This change, which did away with headlines in favor of hashtags and keywords, quickly led to the appearance of false stories in the box. After the November US presidential election, employees and outsiders criticized Facebook’s laissez-faire attitude toward fake news and its role in creating and enforcing echo chambers, in which like-minded users share and read articles that confirm their beliefs.