Facebook Fails

Facebook has failed every single time it has been tested in trying to guard users against misinformation. Facebook pours fire on the flames of misinformation and knows it.

Facebook is just beginning in 2020 to take a harsher stance against misinformation, but it isn’t enough. They’ve cracked down on misinformation during election season, with banners promoting fact-checking and fact-checking other’s posts. But some say that’s 4 years too late.

Some Facebook groups have been disbanded over threats of violence. The laws around exactly how responsible social media platforms are for their users are muddied at the moment. At the moment, social media platforms aren’t responsible for posts users make. So if violence was planned on Facebook, Facebook might be able to get off with little to no repercussions.

But many say that social media platforms like Facebook need to take more responsibility for their users and call for harsher punishments for those who spread misinformation. Facebook still supports websites like the Palmer Report and The Federalist who spread misinformation and alt-right propaganda. Facebook needs to crack down better on this misinformation, not just during election season but all the time.