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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @07:36PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @07:36PM (#429049)

    Next you'll be telling us you're the next incarnation of Jesus, what with your persecution complex and all.

    These come after a string of false news that trended throughout the campaign season that ranged from Hillary Clinton calling for civil war to Mike Pence insulting Mrs. Obama.

    I see fake news on both sides being mentioned. You're just getting off on some more News Outrage, its the new hip thing!

    I for one would like to focus on the censorship side of this issue and not "liberal media is being meaaannnn to meeeee". Let us wait and see if fake liberal news sticks around and only fake conservative news is marginalized.

    Personally I avoid FB most of the time, but when I do log in I always see some conservative craziness from the handful of friends who lean that way. I am not worried about only conservative fake news being censored, but I am worried about any censorship at all. Who watches the watchers?