Facebook Thailand has initiated action to curb the proliferation of fake news on social media, causing misunderstandings among the general public.
Facebook Thailand has launched a fake news checker function. Consequently to reduce the spread of fake news and help improve the quality of online content. The check function was developed by Facebook and AFP news agency, and certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). As a result it will verify the content, images, and videos posted on Facebook.
Facebook posts which are found to be fake news, or to have misleading titles, will have their visibility adjusted downwards. Users will receive a warning when trying to share flagged posts.
Facebook Pages found to be sharing fake news will also have their visibility reduced. Above all they will not be allowed to use revenue functions, and may face termination.
The function uses AI technology, along with AFP reporters in 10 countries of the region. The function will soon be able to screen contents in Thai.
A lecturer at Chualongkorn University’s Faculty of Communication Arts, Ms Pijitra Suppasawatgul, said today the spread of misinformation and fake news online is growing. As a result it will have more severe effects when related to important situation or events.
The use of the checker tool by Facebook can only partially mitigate the problem. The overall issue requires the cooperation of the general public, the government, and other online social media platforms.