|16 January 2017|
Germany
Facebook is going to introduce fake news detection tools in Germany.
Facebook’s German newsroom revealed factual auditors will be used to provide objective, unbiased reviews of the news. These organisations are signatories of the Poynter International Fact Checking Code of Principles. Poynter explains: “The international network of facturers at Poynter is committed to delivering outstanding results in the field of fact-finding. We believe that independent and transparent fact-finding can be a powerful tool for responsible journalism. The Code of Conduct applies to companies that publish regularly independent reports on the accuracy of statements by public figures, large companies and other socially relevant bodies. Once an organisation has applied for and accepted the Poynters program, it will become a fact checker.
And different methods will be available to make it easier to report fake news. Facebook is also working with external fact checker Correctiv as part of its German initiative.
While it will still be possible for users to share content identified as being potentially inaccurate, if the fact-finding organisations identify contributions as fraudulent, they are provided with a warning label that identifies them as untrustworthy.
The German initiative follows hot on the heels of a recent announcement promoting the Facebook Journalism Project, which aims to equip people with the knowledge they need to be informed readers in the digital age.
Facebook says it will continue to work on combatting fake news and confirmed plans are in place to introduce these innovations in other countries in the near future.
