Alarming New Facebook Report Shows Just How Far They’ll Go to Censor ‘Misinformation’
By Movieguide® Staff
Mark Zuckerberg’s brain child, Facebook, is making a hodgepodge of headlines once again.
Lately, the tech giant has been less than transparent about its internal operations, the thought process that goes into its audience engagement algorithms, and the result of employing these algorithms.
Researchers looking into what drives the “infodemic” of misinformation spread across the Internet were disappointed as they were met by opposition from the social media corporation. Not only was their access to analytics deliberately limited, but their accounts were also “shut down.”
In a document updated Sept. 22 and issued by the tech company’s Transparency Center, Facebook revealed how the platform’s managers “treat problematic or low quality content” and what attributes define it as such. This came in the form of Facebook’s Content Distribution Guidelines.
The release comes at a time in which the public shows deep concern over the type of content promoted on the platform, coinciding with a push to investigate various procedures and plans on the tech company’s part for improving a user experience identified by safety.
For a number of years, the extent of social media companies’ control in the limitation, demotion or otherwise censorship of users and their relative content has concerned many who utilize the communication platform.
Facebook’s director of product management, Anna Stepanov, said in a blog post that the rules in the Content Distribution Guidelines are meant to align with the platform’s trio of values: answering direct feedback, investing in high-quality content, and nurturing a space where users do not get exposed to “problematic” content.
A report from the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) observes, “To be clear, these aren’t new protocols—Facebook is just revealing to the public some of the standards governing its content suppression practices.”
Based on the rudimentary albeit vague guidelines, content that often gets flagged or else demoted includes:
- Comments that bear a resemblance to prior comments reported by users as potentially in violation of policy
- Links to poor browsing experiences such as “pages that are poorly formatted or include text sizes that are difficult to read”
- Posts related to sensationalist or exaggerated health claims
- Content debunked and labelled “False, Altered, or Partly False” by non-partisan fact checkers (It’s interesting, however, that on this issue Facebook states: “Opinion content, as well as speech from politicians, is not eligible to be fact-checked.”)
- News reports that lack “new, original reporting or analysis”
Despite the range of issues addressed, some users — as well as representatives of the NRB — still see the protocol as shrouded in obscurity. Moreover, some of these policies have the potential to seriously obstruct free speech, especially the visibility and representation of Christian viewpoints in the public sector.
The NRB report of late September states this information warrants concerns over censorship, especially of matters pertaining to faith, reminding its readers of the company’s long track record of censoring Christian beliefs on topics like sexuality, abortion, and religious liberty.
“We are wary that Facebook’s commitment to a ‘safe’ experience may amount to an ‘open season’ on religious viewpoints, while doing nothing to improve the quality of online discourse,” stated Troy Miller, CEO of NRB.
On Thursday, a U.S. Senate hearing convened to address the effects (including suicidal thoughts) that the Facebook-owned Instagram platform has had on the psychological wellbeing of teens.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
