• Latest
  • All
  • How To
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg visits Nairobi on a Mission to Learn

Facebook Needs To Solve The Fake News Problem Fast

November 21, 2016
Voter Verification Portal Offline Indefinitely for System Maintenance

IEBC Portal Shutdown for Undisclosed Maintenance Period

July 6, 2025
Infinix Note 50 Pro x Java House Collab

Infinix Teams Up with Java House to Launch Note 50 Pro Series

July 4, 2025
Instagram threads

Instagram Threads Rolls Out Direct Messaging in Major Feature Update

July 4, 2025
Infinix Hot 60i Pre-order

Infinix Hot 60i Now Available for Pre-Order in Kenya

July 4, 2025
DHgate Tablet Cases deals
Windows

Microsoft’s Windows Usage Slumps as Macs, Linux, and Mobile Take Over

July 4, 2025
Microsoft

Microsoft Slashes 9,100 Jobs in Biggest Layoffs Since 2023

July 4, 2025
NASA

NASA Brings Space Missions to Netflix at No Extra Cost

July 3, 2025
ios 26-facetime

iOS 26 May Pause Video if You Start Undressing on FaceTime

July 3, 2025
apple iphone foldable

Apple Begins Testing Its First Foldable iPhone

July 3, 2025
Mobile Data

Kenya Draws More Tourists as Mobile Data Roaming Soars

July 3, 2025
Axian Telecom Considers Full Acquisition of Jumia

Axian Telecom Is Plotting a Full Buyout of Jumia

July 3, 2025
Cable TV

Kenya’s Cable TV Market Rebounds with 31.5% Growth

July 3, 2025
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
No Result
View All Result

Facebook Needs To Solve The Fake News Problem Fast

Kiruti Itimu by Kiruti Itimu
November 21, 2016
in Editorial, Opinion
Reading Time: 2 mins read
264
4
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

 

This has not been a good week for Facebook. We have seen exposés from publications like Buzzfeed News where they found out that websites who were peddling fake news about the US election generated more shares than the traditional reputable media. An owner of one of the publishers that publish fake news on Facebook told Washington Post that he makes a million shillings a month from the racket.

This is a big problem for Facebook. Facebook has grown to be a social network of over 1.7 billion users, and for many people out there, it is their ‘entire web’ so to speak. In this age of digital media, you cannot understate the importance of Facebook as it has the reach and the News Feed that feeds its populace with information that suits them.

So when we see a situation where people take fake stories as the truth on Facebook, it becomes a worrying trend that needs to be curtailed as soon as possible.

Mark Zuckerberg decided to tackle on this issue by posting a statement on his Page where he outlined 7 steps his company will take in tackling the fake news problem:

  • Having better technical systems to detect misinformation.
  • Third party verification.
  • Disrupting fake news economics.
  • Listening to journalists or others in the industry.
  • Making it easy for people to report fake stories.
  • Labelling stories that have been flagged as false.
  • Improving the quality of related articles.

It is paramount for Facebook to tackle this fake stories fast because it will hurt the company in a big way. Although the company does not explicitly say that they are a ‘media company’, but the action of fake news going viral on their platform will damage its credibility, which in turn will hurt its financials and could stifle its growth.

They should also stem the growth of fake news on Facebook to prevent a huge spillover scenario on their other assets (Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.) By making significant changes on their main social network, Facebook will be able to push such changes to its other social networks so as to maintain the credibility.

This also comes at a time when there will be a number of general elections that are slated to be held next year (Kenya, France, New Zealand, Germany, Rwanda, Netherlands and many more). The fake news effect Facebook had on the US election was documented and it would reflect badly on the company for being responsible for promoting the growth of misinformation on their site.

It is commendable Zuckerberg took responsibility and set the way forward to deal with this mess. “We understand how important the issue is for our community,” he says on the post, “and we are committed to getting this right.”

Tags: Facebook
SendShare146Tweet92
Kiruti Itimu

Kiruti Itimu

Culture Editor. Covers the intersection of Tech, Social Media and Web Culture. Tech enthusiast [email protected]

Related Posts

Facebook

New Facebook AI Tool Can Access Private Images on Your Phone

June 30, 2025
Counterfeit Products Infiltrate Kenya's Online Market

Counterfeit Goods Flood Kenyan Online Shops Like Jumia and Facebook

June 29, 2025
Togo Cracks Down on Social Media as Protests Demand Leader's Resignation

Togo Shuts Down Social Media Access

June 29, 2025
Kenya's Government Censors X for Global Image

Abductions and Arrests! Kenyan Government’s Fear and Hate of X Users Makes No Sense

June 25, 2025
University student fined for defamatory Facebook posts

University Student Fined KES 7.5 Million for Defamatory Facebook Posts

May 29, 2025
ID Checks May Soon Be Required for Social Media in Kenya

ID Checks May Soon Be Required for Social Media in Kenya

May 21, 2025

Latest

Voter Verification Portal Offline Indefinitely for System Maintenance

IEBC Portal Shutdown for Undisclosed Maintenance Period

July 6, 2025
Infinix Note 50 Pro x Java House Collab

Infinix Teams Up with Java House to Launch Note 50 Pro Series

July 4, 2025
Instagram threads

Instagram Threads Rolls Out Direct Messaging in Major Feature Update

July 4, 2025
Infinix Hot 60i Pre-order

Infinix Hot 60i Now Available for Pre-Order in Kenya

July 4, 2025
Windows

Microsoft’s Windows Usage Slumps as Macs, Linux, and Mobile Take Over

July 4, 2025
Microsoft

Microsoft Slashes 9,100 Jobs in Biggest Layoffs Since 2023

July 4, 2025

Best devices

budget smartwatches 2025

Best Budget Smartwatches To Buy in Kenya 2025

February 13, 2025

Best Infinix Smartphones To Buy in Kenya 2024

February 13, 2025

Best Laptops for Battery Life in 2024

August 21, 2024

Best “Battery Warrior” Smartphones To Buy in 2024

August 22, 2024

IEBC Portal Shutdown for Undisclosed Maintenance Period

July 6, 2025

Infinix Teams Up with Java House to Launch Note 50 Pro Series

July 4, 2025

Techweez is a fast growing influential source of technology news, reviews and analysis by leading tech geeks in the industry.

Follow Us

Editorials

Abductions and Arrests! Kenyan Government’s Fear and Hate of X Users Makes No Sense

Actors and Film Crews Are Worried About Veo 3 Taking Their Jobs

Samsung QLED TVs Now Officially Certified for Real Quantum Dot Technology

Trump’s Tariffs Will Be the End of Affordable Tech

5 Ways to Prep Your Tech for Resale

The Weaponization of PDFs: How Cybercriminals Are Exploiting a Trusted Format

More News

NASA Brings Space Missions to Netflix at No Extra Cost

iOS 26 May Pause Video if You Start Undressing on FaceTime

Apple Begins Testing Its First Foldable iPhone

Kenya Draws More Tourists as Mobile Data Roaming Soars

Axian Telecom Is Plotting a Full Buyout of Jumia

Kenya’s Cable TV Market Rebounds with 31.5% Growth

  • Terms Of Use
  • Techweez Brand
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!

Hey there! Just a heads-up: we're big fans of cookies - both the digital and edible kind! 🍪 We use our cookies and some from third parties to ensure your browsing experience on our site is smooth sailing and secure.

 

But wait, there's more! We also use cookies to gather stats and insights on how you navigate our site. It's like getting a behind-the-scenes peek at your digital adventures!

 

Don't worry, you're in control. You can adjust your cookie settings anytime to suit your preferences. Feeling curious? Dive into our Privacy Policy for all the juicy details. Happy browsing! 🚀

Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
  • Automotive
  • Entertainment

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.