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December 27, 2017
LOL: FaceBook Is Dropping Its #FakeNews Flags on Articles After Realizing Those Flags Just Make People Want to Read the Articles More
A complete loss of credibility has consequences.
The media should take note. But won't.
People have seen PolitiFact and other "fact-check" operations lie for years and years. Why would they continue to believe them?
Facebook announced that it will no longer use "Disputed Flags" -- red flags next to fake news articles -- to identify fake news for users. Instead it will use related articles to give people more context about a story.
Why it's happening: The tech giant is doing this in response to academic research it conducted that shows the flags don't work, and they often have the reverse effect of making people want to click even more. Related articles give people more context about what's fake or not, according to Facebook.