Social media has been great for bringing people together, especially when we have to stay apart. But itβs also a home for fake news, conspiracy theories, and misinformation. Unfortunately, popular platforms allow the garbage to spread like wildfire.
Facebook, however, implemented a system for reporting, reviewing, and censoring some false news. So anyone using the platform can easily and quickly flag a post to let Facebook know. The system isnβt perfect, but it at least provides some recourse for those trying to keep things honest.
Hereβs how it works.
Step 1: Identify False News
Iβm going to use this post from a friend (identity redacted for privacy and to avoid embarrassment). The poster shared the Plandemic βdocumentaryβ that has captured way too much attention. (If youβre looking for an explanation of why this video is fake, check out this, this, and this.)
So letβs say Iβm scrolling through my Facebook feed and I see a friend has shared the video. If youβre not sure whether itβs accurate, the first thing to do is fact check it (I usually use Snopes). Once youβre certain itβs false, fake, or misleading, then itβs time to report it.
Step 2: Hit the Dots
On every single Facebook post, there are three dots located in the top right corner. I circled them in purple. If youβve never clicked on them, youβll want to do so now. As you can see, it brings up a drop-down list with a number of options. In this case, because weβre trying to report fake news, youβll want to click on βFind support or report post.β
Step 3: Report as False News
Once you click on the option to report the post, this screen will pop up. You can see there are a variety of reasons why a post might be a problem. In this case, youβll want to click on βFalse News.β Notice below that you are able to take additional steps against the person posting the fake news, like blocking or unfollowing them, but thatβs entirely optional.
I think this screen is important so you can see the other reasons you should report a Facebook post. Unfortunately, most people donβt even realize that these options are available.
Important: the person who originally posted it wonβt know that youβve reported it as fake news.
As the person reporting the post, your work is done! Facebook will take it from here.
Step 4: The Hidden Post
So what happens after you report? The report is logged with Facebook. Independent fact checkers review the post. If it doesnβt meet with Facebookβs standards, it will be flagged like this post. Itβs still possible for users to click on the post and the link, but theyβll be alerted up front that it isnβt accurate. Facebook is able to flag the false information across the platform. So reporting the post will alert Facebook for everyone who has shared the same link.
I know thereβs some fear that Facebook is censoring unpopular opinions, or participating in the cover-up. But I havenβt seen any real evidence of that (yet). Obviously if that happened I would be concerned, and Iβm sure thereβs some way to seek redress. But a genuine opinion is different than people posting false factual information.
But I also think itβs important to have this feature. Thereβs so much false information spreading around and itβs so toxic. This stuff can actually harm people. The fact that Facebook asks humans to review it is also important, so activist groups canβt just report something the donβt like. So Iβm glad Facebook created this review, especially if itβs going to work correctly.
Together we can help stop fake news. Remember: identify false news, hit the three dots, report a problem, false news. Happy reporting!
BravoβΌοΈ