Facebook announces the extension of a test to restrict political posts in each user’s news feed, message list on the home page. Sweden, Spain and Ireland, among other countries, are next. According to the social media giant, many users are asking.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced earlier this year that Facebook is considering steps to restrict political messages, which may come from various media outlets, groups or politicians themselves, in its users’ news feed.
Algorithms
It fits with his plans to make Facebook a more apolitical platform. Less acidic and more indigestion I feel good, Say. Social network algorithms have long been accused of feeding extremist political views and pitting population groups against one another. Around the US presidential election at the end of last year, Facebook banned new political ads, although many found the measure lukewarm.
In February, a modified algorithm was tested for the first time, in which comments or likes are weighted for a lower political position, appearing less quickly in the news overviews of test participants. Facebook is also trying to mute political posts that, based on the reactions of others, have a high probability of a negative user reaction.
After initial testing with a limited number of users in Canada, Brazil, Indonesia and the United States, the exercise is now being expanded to include Costa Rica, Sweden, Spain and Ireland. Facebook CEO Asta Gupta said in a blog post that expansion to other countries is expected in the coming months.
Belgian politicians love Facebook
There is no doubt that communications experts in the Belgian political parties will follow developments closely. Seven Belgians are in the top ten list of European politicians who spend the most on Facebook, as it turned out recently.
If the restrictions become standard, it will have dire consequences not only for the access of very active politicians on Facebook, but also for media companies that do a lot of political reporting. Gupta says the test will be done step by step.
(bzz)
