The online social network Facebook has stepped up their level in combatting fake news by expanding its trial of measures for the first time outside of the United States, and Germany will be receiving the updates soon. The company published its statement on its blog that it will be introducing the updates to the market "in the coming weeks."
Facebook Vice President of News Feed Adam Mosseri explained in details last month of the company's plans on fighting fake news that are being spread on the platform.
During the US presidential election campaign, Facebook has been stormed by hard critics of its role, with commentators blaming the social media giant for not putting enough effort to halt the spread of bogus information on its News Feed. According to a study, a majority of US adults receive news through social media platforms, reported Tech Crunch.
Rowing back from his previously stated position that Facebook is a technology company, not a media firm, Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg also finally conceded the company has "a greater responsibility than just building technology that information flows through".
"While we don't write the news stories you read and share, we also recognize we're more than just a distributor of news," he wrote in a status update on December 15.
"We're a new kind of platform for public discourse - and that means we have a new kind of responsibility to enable people to have the most meaningful conversations, and to build a space where people can be informed."
Germany was selected as one of the first few to receive the updates first outside of the U.S mainly because the country will soon be having its general election.
The German Government in the recent years has been critical of Facebook's response to the problem spreading of hate speech on the social network.
Facebook new updates will include an easier way for users to report fake news, an integration of fact checkers who are signatories of Poynter's International Fact Checking Code of Principles and reducing financial incentives for spammers to create fake news as a way to generate advertising revenue.
