• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Facebook’s Latest Attempt at Fighting Fake News Is to Provide Publisher Info

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 5, 2017, 6:02 PM ET

Facebook is trying curb the spread of fake news by providing it users more information about news publishers.

The social media giant said on Thursday that it is testing a new feature that gives users background information about news outlets whose articles are often shared online. Specifically, Facebook is testing a button that appears as a lower-case “i” next to articles in the News Feed that pops up information scraped from the publisher’s Facebook page and from Wikipedia.

The feature lets Facebook users get more context about news sources without having to leave the social network, Facebook said. The button provides a boilerplate explanation about the publisher, along with additional stories related to the specific news article and information about who is reading the article on Facebook, and where.

An example posted by Facebook on Thursday showed a button with information about The Associated Press that described the 171-year-old outlet as “an American multinational nonprofit news agency headquartered in New York City.” Meanwhile, if an article comes from a questionable, or unknown, source, users that click on the info button will see an alert telling them that no information is available for the publisher on either Facebook or Wikipedia.

https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/10156559267856729/

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“Helping people access this important contextual information can help them evaluate if articles are from a publisher they trust, and if the story itself is credible,” Facebook said in its announcement of the test. Facebook said it will listen to feedback from users and publishers about the new test feature before deciding whether or not to roll it out further.

The test button is spawned from the Facebook Journalism Project, the initiative the tech giant launched at the beginning of this year in an attempt to cut down on the amount of false or inaccurate news stores being shared on the service, as well as to improve Facebook’s relationships with legitimate news publishers.

Facebook continues to face criticism over the spread of fake news on the service in the wake of last year’s presidential election. The company recently turned over 3,000 ads bought by Russian-linked accounts that aimed to spread divisive and misleading information before the 2016 election. Facebook officials are reportedly set to testify before Congress on the matter sometime this month.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Law
Amazon is cutting checks to millions of customers as part of a $2.5 billion FTC settlement. Here's who qualifies and how to get paid
By Sydney LakeJanuary 6, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
AI layoffs are looking more and more like corporate fiction that's masking a darker reality, Oxford Economics suggests
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Diary of a CEO founder says he hired someone with 'zero' work experience because she 'thanked the security guard by name' before the interview
By Emma BurleighJanuary 8, 2026
18 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Workplace Culture
Amazon demands proof of productivity from employees, asking for list of accomplishments
By Jake AngeloJanuary 8, 2026
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
Google billionaire Larry Page copies the Jeff Bezos playbook, buying a $173 million Miami compound that will save him millions in taxes
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 8, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloJanuary 6, 2026
3 days ago

Latest in Tech

Photo of Sam Altman
AIHealth
OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health in a push to become a hub for personal health data
By Sharon GoldmanJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
Future of WorkTech
The typical American plan to study for 22 years and work for 40 ‘is broken,’ VC CEO says. Thanks to AI, employees can’t coast after graduation anymore
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
Woman interviews with hiring manager.
Future of WorkJobs
‘It feels challenging to break through’: Most recruiters say they can’t find talent while 80% of job seekers feel unprepared to find a job
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Nestlé’s CIO says the value of the food giant’s AI investments goes well beyond efficiency
By John KellJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
HealthChatGPT
OpenAI suggests ChatGPT play doctor as millions of Americans face spiking insurance costs: ‘In the U.S., ChatGPT has become an important ally’
By Tristan BoveJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang
C-SuiteJensen Huang
Jensen Huang is ‘perfectly fine’ with a billionaire tax, shrugging off concerns that it might scatter Silicon Valley’s talent pool
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 7, 2026
2 days ago