“People are more prone to accept false information and ignore dissenting information,” said Quattrociocchi. Despite continually insisting that it’s a neutral technology platform and not a media company, Facebook is all-too aware of the influence it has to drive footfall to the polling stations. It has tried – and failed – to get a grip on the problem before, launching a tool to let users report false information in January 2015. “They don’t see themselves as a media company and they run the risk of being told they are picking sides. All of these issues point towards the inevitability of Facebook acknowledging that it’s no longer just a technology company, but a media company – the media company.

Source: The Guardian November 10, 2016 22:59 UTC