Facebook is reportedly working on a new tool that will automatically stop viral content from spreading if it’s deemed to be “misinformation” by Facebook’s algorithms.
According to The Interface, Facebook said it’s working on a tool that resembles the recommendations of the Center for American Progress (CAP) to start using “virality circuit breakers” to tackle misinformation.
The CAP describes virality circuit breakers as a system that will automatically:
“Detect, label, suspend algorithmic amplification, and prioritize rapid review and fact-checking of trending coronavirus content that displays reliable misinformation markers, which can be drawn from the existing body of coronavirus mis/disinformation.”
When this tool is implemented, it will likely mean an end to viral videos that challenge, oppose, or deviate the mainstream coronavirus talking points.
While Big Tech has censored previous viral videos that offer an alternative perspective on the coronavirus, such as Plandemic and the America’s Frontline Doctors White Coat Summit, they gained millions of views before they were taken down.
This tool would throttle that initial surge in popularity that viral coronavirus posts often get before Facebook takes them down and would prevent them from gaining any significant initial traction before they’re removed.
While Facebook has reportedly confirmed that it’s planning to introduce this tool that automatically detects and actions content that its systems deem to be coronavirus misinformation, the CAP is pushing the company to go even further by setting thresholds for investigating every popular piece of content for potential rule violations.
“If a video on Facebook gets 5 million views in an hour, shouldn’t someone at Facebook take a look at it?,” The Interface added when commenting on the CAP’s recommendation.
The report of this new tool follows Facebook recently reporting that it censored more than 100 million posts for coronavirus misinformation in Q2 2020.
It also follows several tech giants ramping up their censorship efforts and going beyond the traditional approach of removing content that breaks their rules by blocking links and preventing certain topics from being recommended on their platforms.
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