Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by chromas on Wednesday January 23 2019, @11:12PM   Printer-friendly

Microsoft is trying to fight fake news with its Edge mobile browser

Microsoft has started warning users of its Edge mobile browser about untrustworthy news sites. The software giant has partnered with NewsGuard to provide warnings in its Edge browser for iOS and Android, and this functionality has been added this week as an optional setting. NewsGuard was founded by journalists Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, and rates sites based on a variety of criteria including their use of deceptive headlines, whether they repeatedly publish false content, and transparency regarding ownership and financing.

Microsoft first started offering an optional NewsGuard browser extension for Edge on the desktop version of Windows 10 last year, but the move to build this directly into the mobile version suggests the company may be looking to make this a core part of Edge in the future. The Guardian reports that Edge mobile is now warning users that the Daily Mail's website, Mail Online, "generally fails to maintain basic standards of accuracy and accountability."

WhatsApp Tries To Curb Misinformation, And Annoying Aunts And Uncles

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world. With about 1.5 billion users, it's a free way to text and place international voice and video calls.

But recently the platform, which is owned by Facebook, has faced accusations of being used to spread misinformation — with serious consequences. Last year in India, rumors spread mostly on WhatsApp led to mob killings. In the run-up to Brazil's recent elections, misinformation and conspiracy theories also went viral on the messaging app.

WhatsApp is now limiting the number of people users can forward messages to, to five. [...] WhatsApp "carefully evaluated this test and listened to user feedback over a six-month period," a company spokesperson told NPR. "The forward limit significantly reduced forwarded messages around the world. We'll continue to listen to user feedback about their experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content."


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday January 24 2019, @02:20PM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday January 24 2019, @02:20PM (#791221) Journal

    This just in case you would be tempted to argue that, in exchange for that 'civilization', we must accept trolling and fake news.

    Like you just did with that straw man argument? Why would I accept that?

    Without pervasive post-truth society.

    There never was a truth society and hence, no "post"-truth society exists today. It's just more trolling and fake news.

    I find it interesting what one thinks a civilization should have. Feeding its citizens apparently just isn't that important, nor mob violence that kills people all the time. Complaining about trolls on the internets, especially when one is the sole troll in the thread, definitely a sign of civilized behavior.