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

Trendingnow

1

After hitting oil tankers, Iran targets Navy warships and U.S. retaliates with 'higher economic cost' in new escalation that could transform the war

2

Widow of airman killed in Mideast was told hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks wouldn't apply because 'we were not at war.' A viral post fixed it

3

Despite being a multimillionaire, Suze Orman still cooks at home whenever possible—and says eating out is one of the biggest wastes of money

1

After hitting oil tankers, Iran targets Navy warships and U.S. retaliates with 'higher economic cost' in new escalation that could transform the war

2

Widow of airman killed in Mideast was told hazard pay and combat-related tax breaks wouldn't apply because 'we were not at war.' A viral post fixed it

3

Despite being a multimillionaire, Suze Orman still cooks at home whenever possible—and says eating out is one of the biggest wastes of money
Tech

Facebook Has a New Plan For Fighting Voter Suppression Tactics—And For Once It Involves Deleting Lies

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 16, 2018, 7:18 AM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Facebook‘s ongoing crusade against election-related abuse of its platform will involve the removal of some (but not all) disinformation that’s designed to suppress voting.

The company told Reuters that it would ban false information about voting requirements. It will also flag for moderation reports that may aim to keep people away from polling stations by alleging violence or long queues—if the reports are shown to be false, they will be suppressed in people’s news feeds, but they won’t be deleted.

Facebook (FB) generally does not remove falsehoods, even if they are demonstrated, so nixing false information about voting requirements is a notable step. It banned lies about voting locations a couple years back, but this latest move involves exaggerations about voter identification requirements.

In the wake of the mass disinformation campaigns that accompanied the 2016 election, Facebook has come under a great deal of pressure over its role in combatting the problem. It has partnered with think tanks in an attempt to better spot propaganda; it has removed “inauthentic” profiles that were aiming to spread misinformation; and it has sponsored research on the overall problem.

But, while the company is willing to suppress certain kinds of “fake news,” it won’t delete the vast majority of it.

“We don’t believe we should remove things from Facebook that are shared by authentic people if they don’t violate those community standards, even if they are false,” News Feed product manager Tessa Lyons told Reuters.

Facebook’s cybersecurity policy chief, Nathaniel Gleicher, also told the news service that the company is considering banning posts that linked to hacked material, as Twitter (TWTR) recently did. As shown with the hacking of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 by Russian operatives, this technique can form part of a coordinated effort to sway elections. However, the dissemination of some hacked materials is in the public interest, making this a tricky tightrope for social media firms to negotiate.

About the Author
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech


Most Popular

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
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Tech


    Most Popular

    © 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.