Facebook has released an update that’s supposed to counter the proliferation of fake news. If this song sounds familiar, it’s because it’s not the first time the social media company has sung it.
The difference this time is that the tool takes a slightly more personal approach. Unlike previous features that have populated a counter argument as a ‘read more’ or put flags against possible fake news, this new feature allows you to learn more about where the story has been shared and who has shared it.
That’s right, by tapping on a little ‘i’ hovering over the news story on your News Feed you can see a map of where this story has been shared, and a list of which of your friends has shared it.
Um, excuse me, did you mean to share that?
Of course, you’ll have to find out for yourself if the story has been shared ironically by doing some investigation. Although if you’re the sort of person who investigates before reacting, you’re probably not the user that is most in need of a Fake News detection tool.
What seems like a much more likely outcome is a greater division of socio-political groupings, as it’s suddenly possible to point the finger at your friends that have a certain political, religious, or tinfoil-hat wearing leaning.
At a time where lines in the sand seem to be drawn deeper than usual, we wonder if a tool that stands to drive us further down the potential narcissistic echochamber is a good thing.
After all, how kindly would you take to a message from Derek from accounts telling you you’re wrong?
The new feature is currently just rolling out in the US, we'll keep you updated if it gets rolled out globally.
- Want to figure out what happenned with Facebook and the Cambridge Analytica scandal? Check out: The Cambridge Analytica and Facebook data scandal: what you need to know
Via The Next Web
