Facebook will block ads from Pages that spread fake news
It’s trying to “disrupt the economic incentives” of spreading false content.
In its latest attempt to fix its fake news problem, Facebook will now block Pages that spread fake news from advertising on the site. "If Pages repeatedly share stories marked as false, these repeat offenders will no longer be allowed to advertise on Facebook," it said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Facebook began flagging fake news posts and promoting more legitimate content over sketchy articles. It also began deprioritizing content shared by individuals who post over 50 times per day when research showed that in those cases, the shared posts often included misinformation and sensationalism. In a more direct challenge of fake news, the site recently began publishing fact checkers' takes on articles labeled as potentially fake and making it easier to get to different articles related to any given post.
The company has already banned fake news websites from generating ad revenue on Facebook and blocked ads that link to fake news stories. It says its latest update is to take the fight against fake news a step further. "Today's update helps to disrupt the economic incentives and curb the spread of false news, which is another step towards building a more informed community on Facebook," it said.
