Facebook Adds Tools to Help Group Admins Combat Misinformation
Facebook is making it easier for Group admins to fight misinformation and manage audiences.
"Communities can only thrive as places to connect when they are safe," says Maria Smith, VP of Communities for the Facebook app. With that in mind, the social network is adding the ability to automatically decline incoming posts identified as containing false information. Those rated by third-party fact-checkers as inaccurate are immediately declined before anyone in the group can see them, lessening the visibility and spread of misinformation.
Group access is up to the discretion of its moderator, who can temporarily suspend folks from posting, commenting, reacting, participating in group chats, and creating or entering a Room if they feel the person is not following set rules.
The idea, according to Facebook, is to make it easier for Group admins to manage their communities with fresh tools like automatic approval or disapproval of requests based on specific criteria—such as not completing required membership questions.
A revamped Admin Home, meanwhile, features a desktop overview page where you can quickly review items that need attention, a layout update to more easily sort and search for tasks, and a mobile insights summary for understanding growth and engagement within groups.
Facebook is also adding shareable QR codes that, when scanned, direct people to a Group's About page, where anyone can join or request to join. The site also added the option for admins to send invites via email to recruit more members.
"These new tools will help admins who want to grow their communities by reaching the relevant people," Smith says.
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