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Facebook tweaks 'trending' feature to root out fake news
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FILE - In this Friday, March 15, 2013, file photo, a Facebook employee walks past a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Despite loudly touted efforts, the tech industry is making very little progress in diversifying its workforce, especially in technical and leadership positions. In 2014, 2 percent of Googlers were black and 3 percent were Hispanic, numbers that haven’t changed since. The picture is similar at Facebook and Twitter. (AP/Jeff Chiu)
F
acebook is updating its "trending" feature, which shows popular topics discussed and shared on its site, in an effort to root out fake news and misinformation.
The social media giant says it will now look at the number of publishers posting about the same topic — not just the number of people sharing or commenting on single posts or articles — when assembling its list.
That's intended to ensure that the topics "reflect real world events being covered by multiple outlets."
(Read also: Minister Rudiantara clarifies Facebook representatives' visit to Jakarta)
Facebook will also stop personalizing the topics based on users' interests.
After criticism of the way it has allowed misinformation to spread on its site in the months leading up to the election, Facebook in December announced a slew of new measures to curb the spread of fake news. (dan)
