Facebook didn't block fake news because it was reportedly scared of suppressing right-wing sites

[still_one]

"Facebook has repeatedly insisted that the fake news stories which spread across its social network during the presidential election did not impact the results.

Mark Zuckerberg recently went so far as to say the idea that fake news on Facebook "influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea."

Now a new report from Gizmodo claims the company chose not to take steps to suppress fake news earlier this year because it would have "disproportionately impacted right-wing news sites by downgrading or removing that content from people’s feeds."

Facebook may have been scared of provoking a backlash from conservative users of the service in the wake of an episode earlier this year in which contractors employed by Facebook reportedly suppressed conservative-oriented news articles from the trending news section.

Citing anonymous sources, Gizmodo alleges that Facebook employees planned an update to the News Feed that would hide fake news and hoaxes earlier this year. But when Facebook realized the update "disproportionately" affected right-wing publishers, the update was reportedly shelved."


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/facebook-didnt-block-fake-news-173808114.html

[itsrobert]

1. It was out of control the last 48 hous

Before the election. A coordinated effort to decieve anyone on FB.

[still_one]

4. absolutely. FBI, fox news, cnn and msnbc also were up to their

eyebrows in deception when comey interfered with the election 11 days before.

The first thing I did on the 9th is down grade my DirectTV service to the family plan, which essentially is just the locals. No cnn, no msnbc, no fox.

This wasn't just about losing the Presidency. Every swing state senate election was lost. Including Russ Feingold.

Those that voted third party might have made the difference, but in their narcissistic, selfish arrogance they did care. Kurt Eichenwald said it best:

‘I hope you bathe in your shame’

"“Elections are not a game. They are not an exercise in narcissism,” Eichenwald said in a Facebook post. “They are serious business about who you want to have lead the country. Everyone knew, that was going to be Trump or Clinton. If, somehow, you didn’t see the difference between them, you are a fool.”

Eichenwald, who exposed Trump’s lies and shady business dealings in a series of bombshell reports, lashed out at “petulant, whiny crybabies” who planned to sit out the election or cast “protest votes” because Hillary Clinton was nominated over Bernie Sanders.

He holds no animosity toward anyone who voted for Trump despite his and other reporters’ revelations, but Eichenwald feels “utter contempt” for protest voters and abstainers because Trump likely would have been defeated if turnout had matched 2012 and Jill Stein and Gary Johnson voters had backed Clinton.

“Each and every one of these people supported a Trump presidency,” Eichenwald said. “That is fine, if that is what you wanted. If not, I hope you bathe in your shame for the next four years.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/kurt-eichenwald-blames-petulant-protest-voters-for-trump-win-i-hope-you-bathe-in-your-shame/

47% of those who could vote didn't vote.

[Mosby]

2. I had several FB friends who kept posting fake news.

It was out of control.

Zuck's 1% claims are "fake news"

[hamsterjill]

3. Oh, I saw plenty of fake news being touted as the gospel.

With willing hatemongers picking it up and spreading it without any effort whatsoever to think that it might be untrue, but plenty of effort put into passing it along to as many as quickly as possible.