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

Facebook’s Fight Against Fake News Hits Pages and Business Listings

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 28, 2017, 1:44 PM ET

Facebook’s battle against fake news has spread to business listings.

Organizations that link to news stories deemed to be false from their Pages listing will no longer be allowed to advertise on Facebook, the social network said Monday.

Companies, brands, celebrities, and other groups use Facebook’s Pages feature as their public profiles on Facebook.

Facebook said that it discovered certain groups using Pages as a way to spread fake news, although it didn’t say which organizations were doing so. Leading up to and after the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump, numerous organizations and individuals have used Facebook as a way to distribute bogus or misleading news stories.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

One recent example of a fake news story that became a viral hit includes one about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger losing some of his fingers in a 4th of July fireworks accident, according to David Mikkelson, the founder of fact-checking site Snopes.

Although Facebook repeatedly underplays the prevalence of fake news on its service, it has been steadily debuting new features intended to stop users from sharing fraudulent stories. The company recently partnered with third-party groups like Snopes, the Associated Press, and ABC News to identify stories proven to be fake and posts warnings about the accuracy of those news stories to its users.

Still, as the Guardian reported in May, Facebook’s efforts to combat fake news isn’t full proof, and some fake news stories that Facebook flagged with warnings got more popular because certain people felt Facebook was trying to silence information they believe to be true.

Now Facebook is trying to combat fake news by penalizing fake news influencers that want to make money selling Facebook ads. If these groups use their Pages listing to “repeatedly shares stories that have been marked as false by third-party fact-checkers, they will no longer be able to buy ads on Facebook,” Facebook said.

However, if these groups decide to stop spreading fake news, Facebook said, “they may be eligible to start running ads again.”

“Today’s update helps to disrupt the economic incentives and curb the spread of false news, which is another step towards building a more informed community on Facebook,” the company wrote in a blog post.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

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
Fortune Secondary Logo
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
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

daron acemoglu
AILayoffs
The Nobel laureate who co-wrote ‘Why Nations Fail’ warns U.S. democracy won’t survive unless these two things change
By Jake AngeloFebruary 22, 2026
3 hours ago
jesse
CommentaryDEI
A decade ago, I had a front row seat as Jesse Jackson held big tech firms accountable for being overwhelmingly white and male
By Brennan Nevada JohnsonFebruary 22, 2026
3 hours ago
Man wearing a suit awkwardly takes a video call on a laptop
Future of WorkInterview
Recruiter reveals broken Zoom interview etiquette: bathrobes, yoga, and outsourcing thinking to AI
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 22, 2026
4 hours ago
werfel
CommentaryTaxes
Former IRS Commissioner: Here’s how we used AI to create immediate value when taxpayers scrutinized every dollar
By Danny WerfelFebruary 22, 2026
5 hours ago
LawMedia
DOJ probes Netflix’s power over filmmakers in Warner deal review
By Josh Sisco and BloombergFebruary 21, 2026
16 hours ago
Big TechTech
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says Bill Gates told him his big bet on OpenAI would be a flop: ‘Yeah, you’re going to burn this billion dollars’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 21, 2026
24 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 21, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 21, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Startups & Venture
'I have a chip on my shoulder.' Phoebe Gates wants her $185 million AI startup Phia to succeed with 'no ties to my privilege or my last name'
By Sydney LakeFebruary 21, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it's become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeFebruary 21, 2026
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Trump's plan B to impose new tariffs is also illegal because a balance-of-payments deficit doesn't exist, trade experts say
By Jason MaFebruary 21, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Mark Cuban says AI won’t take your job anytime soon because it still acts like a hungover college intern—with a $100K price tag to show for it
By Preston ForeFebruary 20, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 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.