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Despite Everything, Facebook Remains a Prominent Facilitator of Election Misinformation

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despite everything facebook remains a prominent facilitator of election misinformation

Over the last four years, Facebook has implemented a range of measures to stamp out misinformation, tackle election interference and ensure that its users are kept accurately informed, despite various efforts, by various groups, to use the company’s massive network in order to influence public opinion and sway election results in their own favor.

Facebook’s increased push came after revelations of various mass misinformation and influence operations during the 2016 US Election campaign, which included the high-profile Cambridge Analytica scandal, and the revelations of Russia’s Internet Research Agency running thousands of ads to spark division among US voters. How effective either of these pushes actually was is impossible to say, but both did happen, and you would imagine that they had at least some effect. 

Facebook’s various measures seem to have negated much of the foreign influence and manipulation that was present in 2016 – yet, despite this, several new insights show that Facebook is still facilitating the spread of misinformation, with President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud, in particular, gaining increased traction via The Social Network.

Last week, Facebook published a post in which it sought to refute claims that its algorithm disproportionately amplifies controversial right-wing content, which sparks engagement and interaction, and therefore, seemingly, gains reach.

Facebook published the post in response to these lists, published daily by New York Times writer Kevin Roose.

The lists, which are based on engagement data accessed via Facebook’s own analytics platform CrowdTangle, appear to show that content from extreme right-wing publishers performs better on Facebook, which often means that questionable, if not demonstrably false information, is getting big reach and engagement across The Social Network.

But hang on, Facebook said, that’s not the whole story:

Most of the content people see [on Facebook], even in an election season, is not about politics. In fact, based on our analysis, political content makes up about 6% of what you see on Facebook. This includes posts from friends or from Pages (which are public profiles created by businesses, brands, celebrities, media outlets, causes and the like).”   

So while the numbers posted by Roose may show that right-wing news content gets a lot of engagement, that’s only a fraction of what users see overall.

Ranking top Page posts by reactions, comments, etc. doesn’t paint a full picture of what people actually see on Facebook.

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To demonstrate this, Facebook shared this listing of what content actually gets the most reach on Facebook – i.e. posts from these Pages appeared in the most user News Feed for the week in question:

Facebook Page reach

I added the black text descriptions for context. As you can see, most of the content people see is not political-based, which, Facebook says, shows that political updates are not as prevalent as Roose’s listings may suggest.

But then again, this listing kind of proves Roose’s point – of all of the top 10 Pages from the week above, based on reach to US active users, the two political Pages with the most presence are:

  • Donald J. Trump
  • Fox News

So while people do see a lot of other content, you could equally argue that recipe videos are probably not going to influence how people vote. Which would suggest that Facebook, even by its own explanation, is helping to boost more extreme political views.

And that then leads into the next concern.

This week, BuzzFeed News has reported that despite Facebook adding warning labels to Trump’s posts which have criticized the US Election, and suggested widespread fraud in the voting process, those labels have had little impact on social sharing.

Trump Facebook post example

BuzzFeed shared this quote from an internal Facebook discussion board:

”We have evidence that applying these [labels] to posts decreases their reshares by ~8%. However given that Trump has SO many shares on any given post, the decrease is not going to change shares by orders of magnitude.”

As you can see, the above post was still widely shared and commented on. But Facebook may also be contributing directly to that. As noted, Facebook’s algorithm looks to boost posts that see more engagement, in order to keep people active and on-platform for longer. That means that posts which generate a lot of comments and discussion tend to see higher reach.

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Facebook’s system even pushes that directly – as shown in this example shared by The Wall Street Journal’s Deepa Seetharaman:

Trump example

So rather than limiting the spread of these claims, Facebook is actively promoting them to users, in order to spark engagement. That’s stands in significant contrast to Twitter, which last week reported that it had seen a 29% decrease in Quote Tweets as a result of its own warning labels.

The data here shows that Facebook is not only not seeing any major impact as a result of its deterrence measures, but that it’s own systems, intentionally or not, are even counteracting such efforts.

Why? Because as many have noted, Facebook values engagement above all else in most cases. It seems, in this instance, its internal measures to boost interaction may be inadvertently going against its other operations.

So what comes next? Should Facebook come under more scrutiny, and be forced to review its processes in order to stop the spread of misinformation?

That, at least in part, is the topic of the latest round of the latest Senate Judiciary Hearing into possible reforms to Section 230 laws. Within the context of this examination, Facebook and Twitter have faced questions over the influence of their platforms, and how their systems incentivize engagement.

Those hearings could eventually lead to reform, one way or another, and with former President Barack Obama this week suggesting that social platforms should face regulation, there could be more movement coming on this front.

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As Obama explained to The Atlantic:

I don’t hold the tech companies entirely responsible [for the rise of populist politics], because this predates social media. It was already there. But social media has turbocharged it. I know most of these folks. I’ve talked to them about it. The degree to which these companies are insisting that they are more like a phone company than they are like The Atlantic, I do not think is tenable. They are making editorial choices, whether they’ve buried them in algorithms or not. The First Amendment doesn’t require private companies to provide a platform for any view that is out there.”

With Obama’s former VP Joe Biden set to take the reigns in January, we could see a significant shift in approach to such moving forward, which could limit Facebook’s capacity to facilitate such content.

But then again, even if new rules are enacted, there will always be borderline cases, and as we’ve seen with the sudden rise of Parler, there will also be alternate platforms that will cater to more controversial views.

Maybe, then, this is a consequence of a more open media landscape – with fewer gatekeepers to limit the spread of misinformation, it will remain increasingly difficult to contain. 

Free speech advocates will hail this as a benefit, while others may not be so sure. Either way, with the 2020 election discussion still playing out, we’re likely to see more examples of such before the platforms are truly pushed to act. 

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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