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Now that the US Elections are Over, Google and Facebook to Block their Ads on Fake News Sites

posted by martyb on Friday November 18 2016, @08:01AM   Printer-friendly
from the no-more-profits-from-false-prophets dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Google and Facebook finally announced steps to tackle fake news on their respective platforms this week following increasing pressure from critics eager to halt the flow of falsehoods online.

Both companies said they will prohibit fake news websites from advertising on their platforms, thus reducing the exposure of such articles to the public while also starving the companies of an important source of advertising income.

The move comes after the companies received a wave of criticism over its role in propagating misinformation, particularly in this election cycle in which many observed that a bitter partisan war was potentially worsened by polarizing news sources touting untrue assertions. While the technology companies have in the past been hesitant to mediate the flow of news, this change might signal a change in thought as they come to grip with the real-life implications of lackluster surveillance on their platforms.

Wrongthink will not be permitted, citizens.

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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @11:46AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @11:46AM (#428799)

    Both companies said they will prohibit fake news websites from advertising on their platforms

    I look forward to the end of 'fake news'. Instead of hearing about violence at Trump rallies from Trump supporters, we would have heard about the DNC paying professional agitators in an attempt to create an unfavourable media narrative? Instead of hearing about 'Trump protests', we would hear only about the Soros funded MoveOn coaching in paid protesters? Instead of hearing about war crimes committed by Syrian and Russian forces, we would hear about the US arming terrorist groups?

    Yes, we all look forward to the end of 'fake news' and salute Google and Fakebook for their valiant efforts.

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  • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday November 18 2016, @06:38PM

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday November 18 2016, @06:38PM (#428997) Journal

    “I think Trump is in the White House because of me. His followers don’t fact-check anything — they’ll post everything, believe anything,” Horner, 38, told the Washington Post. [nypost.com] “His campaign manager posted my story about a protester getting paid $3,500 as fact. Like, I made that up. I posted a fake ad on Craigslist.”