Google and Facebook join forces for news verification project
"Fake news" is the crisis du jour for online media in 2017, and now, two tech giants are working together to stop it from wrecking a pivotal election.
...Well, another pivotal election.
SEE ALSO:Facebook is tweaking the News Feed to crack down on 'alternative facts'Facebook and Google, along with newsrooms in France (including France 24, the partner for Mashable's French-language edition), are joining forces on a new project that will help verify or debunk viral information online. It's called CrossCheck, and it'll focus on the 2017 French presidential election. The initiative, billed as "a collaborative journalism project," was originally conceived by First Draft, a nonprofit focused on verifying information in the digital age, and Google News Lab.
The French election fits nicely as a sort of "round two" for Google and Facebook, which failed to stem the rise of misinformation supporting Donald Trump before his election last November. France is at an inflection point, with an incredibly unpopular sitting president and an ascendant candidate, Marine Le Pen, who could overthrow the incumbent with her far-right, France-first platform.
CrossCheck has its work cut out for it.
And speaking of "fake news," Le Pen has already benefited from an organized effort to discredit her opponents with fabricated online profiles, BuzzFeed reported last month. Pepe the frog, a stoner comic book character that became an unlikely icon for white nationalism in the U.S. last year, has leaped over the Atlantic to support her, as well.
So CrossCheck has its work cut out for it. But details about how the project will work are a bit sketchy. It sounds as though Google and Facebook will provide access to tools like CrowdTangle and Google Trends to help experts track how topics are being discussed on social media.
According to a report in Le Monde, Facebook will also roll out a French version of a news-reporting tool that allows users to flag bogus content on the social network. Third-party fact-checkers will assess the content and a warning will be added to "disputed" links.
Disputed content may also be ranked lower in a user's News Feed, per a Facebook update from the end of last month.
Facebook's news-reporting tool in action.Credit: Facebook"It is this element that decided it for us," said Jérôme Fenoglio, director of Le Monde, as translated from French by Mashable. "For the first time, it would be possible to act [using] an algorithm when content poses an editorial problem."
"Fake news" is the bleating scapegoat that's come to define this era of American politics. Originally intended as a label for fabricated stories written with maximum virality in mind—often in support of President Trump—the term's been co-opted by some authority figures to confuse the public into thinking that actual facts are falsehoods.
President Trump has tweeted about "fake news"—often, in screaming capital letters— at least 16 times since December. But unlike the material CrossCheck's concerned with, his "fake news" is typically-factual material that makes him look bad, and that he's got a vested interest in turning the public against.
For example, President Trump tweeted early Monday morning that "any negative polls are fake news," which really requires no unpacking. It's been retweeted over 22,000 times.
Still, cutting down on how misinformation spreads on Facebook is a worthy pursuit. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center indicated that social media does indeed have the power to change what people believe—an idea that shouldn't be ignored as yet another Western power prepares to decide its future.
Featured Video For You
In stunning exchange, Trump refuses to answer question from CNN reporter
TopicsFacebookGoogleSocial Media
-
“大体老师”的故事:以生命点亮生命North Korea denounces US aid to Ukraine as 'hallucinogen'After 7 years, Japan zoo discovers their male resident hippo is actually a femaleNorth Korean delegation to attend flagship St. Petersburg economic forum: TASSSinkhole swallows up car, injuring 2 in SeoulRussia's agriculture minister Dmitry Patrushev and N.Korea discuss agricultureUnited Methodists open first high21 Hot Springs to Escape Winter's ChillYoon, US Senate's armed service committee chief discuss alliance, N.K. threatsSandia's new fuze for US nuclear stockpile enters full production
- ·Value Judgment
- ·How JPEG Image Compression Works
- ·North Korea denounces US aid to Ukraine as 'hallucinogen'
- ·More med professors considering weekly breaks amid prolonged doctors' walkout
- ·高温难耐,工会驿站化身“清凉小屋”
- ·McConnell says university presidents need to get control of the situation amid protests
- ·American tourist facing possible 12
- ·NASA excitedly confirms it will fly a sci
- ·Where to pre
- ·University protests over Israel
- ·NBA livestream 2024: How to watch NBA for free
- ·TechSpot PC Buying Guide: Early 2024
- ·Discover Secret Swimming Holes and Hidden History in Crystal River, Florida
- ·Tesla's Optimus robot could be on sale next year, says Elon Musk
- ·Nvidia and AMD Price Cut Battle, Great GPUs Discontinued
- ·21 Unexpected Wonders in Colorado’s Vibrant Cities and Small Towns
- ·'Please find her': Man dies amid 25
- ·Explainer: What is Chip Binning?
- ·BTS’ RM to release second solo album in May
- ·Top 10 Tech Pranks
- ·12 Sculptures Made From Recycled Materials
- ·American tourist facing possible 12
- ·4GB vs. 8GB: How Have VRAM Requirements Evolved?
- ·Researchers create artificial, modifiable cells with programmable DNA
- ·This shark lives for centuries. Scientists discover how it resists aging.
- ·House speaker calls for Columbia University president's resignation amid ongoing protests
- ·应对高温 户外驿站送清凉
- ·Wordle today: The answer and hints for April 26
- ·Toward an Intellectual History of Genocide in Gaza
- ·N. Korean official lambasts US over sanctions: state media
- ·CeeDee Lamb secures record
- ·What is TikTok Lite and why is the EU concerned about it?
- ·9 Festive Holiday Treats and Where to Find Them
- ·BTS’ RM to release second solo album in May
- ·I Deleted All My Social Accounts: Three Weeks Without Social Media
- ·浩恩奉仕:水果加工原料供给海内外,日产果汁原材料40吨