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

Sheryl Sandberg Talks Facebook’s Response to ‘False News’

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 28, 2018, 6:46 PM ET

Sheryl Sandberg knows that Facebook is coming off a bumpy year, and that the road ahead doesn’t appear any smoother.

“To say 2017 was a challenging year feels like a bit of an understatement . . .” she said on Wednesday at a Morgan Stanley investor conference in San Francisco. “We are taking a number of steps to show that we take full responsibility for everything that happens on our platform.”

Specifically, Sandberg cited the controversy around fake news and misinformation spread on Facebook. The company has also been criticized by users and the political leaders over the fact that fake accounts linked to Russia churned out divisive posts and interacted with Americans in the lead up to the recent U.S. presidential election.

Sandberg said on Wednesday that “it will never be 100% possible” to eliminate all “bad” content from Facebook, but she said the company continues taking steps to fight “false news,” including hiring teams of third-party fact-checkers and vowing to increase the transparency and security around political ads that appear on the service.

“We are working hard and making sure all of the information on Facebook is from authentic accounts,” she said. “Because fake accounts are actually the source of a lot of the false news, and they were the source of all of the election interference we saw.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Sandberg added that, contrary to popular opinion, fake news on Facebook is usually more “economically motivated” than driven by politics. “People are writing outlandish headlines so they can get clicks, so they can make ad money,” she said. “So, probably the most important thing we can do is go after the economic incentive and make sure that people who are purveying fake/false news are not making money from it.”

“People want real news on Facebook, we want them to have real news on Facebook,” Sandberg continued. “So, we’re working very hard in this area.”

Appearing at the conference along with Facebook CFO David Wehner, Sandberg also took the opportunity to “answer a question that wasn’t asked” near the end of the session. Referring to the ongoing “MeToo” movement, Sandberg, the author of the book Lean In, about women in the workplace, noted that this is an “extremely important moment for women” with regard to standing up to harassment and seeking more equality in the workplace. Citing a recent survey that found male managers are now more worried about spending alone time with their female subordinates as a result of the recent uptick in harassment claims, Sandberg urged male business leaders to “make sure your firm access is equal” because “even before #MeToo, women were much less likely be mentored than men.”

“Not harassing us is important but basic,” she said. “We need more. We need an equal share of time and attention that gets women into the roles they need.”

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
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

President Donald Trump
AITariffs
The AI boom is singlehandedly carrying the U.S. import market—and adding $200 billion to the trade deficit, Fed study finds
By Tristan BoveApril 22, 2026
2 hours ago
shlomit
Commentarycyber
The Mythos meeting focused on the wrong AI risk to banks. Here’s the one nobody is talking about
By Shlomit WagmanApril 22, 2026
2 hours ago
The internet isn’t just like real life, a top VC says — it is real life. For a16z, that’s not philosophy, it’s an investment
Startups & Venturedigital economy
The internet isn’t just like real life, a top VC says — it is real life. For a16z, that’s not philosophy, it’s an investment
By Nick LichtenbergApril 22, 2026
3 hours ago
helium
AIData centers
The AI economy runs on helium. The Iran war just created a $650 billion problem
By Nick LichtenbergApril 22, 2026
3 hours ago
jensen huang
AINvidia
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says you won’t lose your job to AI—you’ll lose it to your coworker who uses it
By Jake AngeloApril 22, 2026
4 hours ago
Elon Musk
SuccessEducation
Elon Musk thinks college is ‘basically for fun’—but his former Tesla HR chief tells Gen Z even their liberal arts degrees are more valuable than ever
By Preston ForeApril 22, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
Real Estate
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
By Sydney LakeApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
9 hours ago
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
Law
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
By Sasha RogelbergApril 20, 2026
2 days ago
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
C-Suite
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
Jeff Bezos once gave Eva Longoria and the admiral behind Osama bin Laden's capture $100 million—but she says you don't need wealth to give back
Success
Jeff Bezos once gave Eva Longoria and the admiral behind Osama bin Laden's capture $100 million—but she says you don't need wealth to give back
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 21, 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.