Facebook is testing a new feature that encourages users to read an article before sharing it. Can it be enough to fight misinformation on the platform?
A Facebook spokesperson added that the test would be rolled out to 6% of users worldwide.
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The announcement was made on Twitter via the Facebook Newsroom account. It’s worth noting that Facebook could have chosen Twitter as a platform because Twitter had already started testing a similar feature back in June 2020.
In the announcement tweet, Facebook explains that some users will start seeing a pop-up when sharing an article that they have not opened. The message will prompt the users to read the article but it will not stop them from sharing it if they want to.
Starting today, we’re testing a way to promote more informed sharing of news articles. If you go to share a news article link you haven’t opened, we’ll show a prompt encouraging you to open it and read it, before sharing it with others. pic.twitter.com/brlMnlg6Qg
— Meta Newsroom (@MetaNewsroom) May 10, 2021
Facebook says that the new feature is meant to help people be better informed about the article they share. The company is hoping that it could help combat the spread of misinformation on its platform. For the duration of the test, the new feature will only be available on Android.
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