Will Anyone Notice A Difference?

[douglas9401]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly74mpy8klo

Our erstwhile saviours/misfits seem to be caving to the lowest common denominator.

[Untitled]

it'll all end in tears. the whole reason fact checkers were introduced in the first place was because people were using facebook to systematically spread misinformation.

[max137]

The BBC fact checkers are not up to the job perhaps they should do likewise

[New Judge]

"....fact checkers were introduced in the first place was because people were using facebook to systematically spread misinformation."

But isn't the idea of a free to all social media plaform that people are free to postt what they like and it's up to other users with a will to do so to check the facts?

Surely anybody who takes for gospel something they read on Facebook or X is being a bit silly.

[Atheist]

I predict that the absolute free speech people will turn out to be more harmful to society than the feared Islamic takeover.

[Ellipsis]

> But isn't the idea of a free to all social media plaform that people are free to postt what they like and it's up to other users with a will to do so to check the facts?

How?  Most people can't determine their ass from their elbow, let alone whether Russia delivered a missile to Ukraine or whether it was self-inflicted ...

There are facts and there are opinions.  Fact checkers should be about facts, leaving opinions to be discussed.

Shouting fire in a crowded cinema is one thing, but online that venue can be very large indeed.  It's quite irresponsible for a mainstream platform to leave it untended, especially as that same platform - Facebook - is now creating AI online personas to interact with real people:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/03/meta-ai-powered-instagram-facebook-profiles

AI can engage at scale, amplifying a message. If you're a mere human, it's hard to fact-check and respond to a bot.  A responsible platform would get involved.  Facebook is no longer a resposible platform, if it ever was.  Twitter/X is even worse.

[New Judge]

"How?  Most people can't determine their ass from their elbow, let alone whether Russia delivered a missile to Ukraine or whether it was self-inflicted ..."

But it's no different to somebody discussing the same topic in the pub with his mates. OK, so the audience is larger. But the alternative is to moderate it so closely (which, because of its size, is virtually impossible) or close it down.

I understand (if the facts I read are correct!) that FB gets around 40,000 posts a second. There is no way that can be controlled with any reliability. In the unlikely event that one moderator could deal with ten posts a minute, it would require a quarter of a million moderators working 24/7.

It was always going to be the case that platforms like those would attract all sorts of cranks and loonies. To bleat now, after Pandora's Box has been well and truly opened, that the lid should only have been opened slightly and only by those who can behave themselves is silly.

"Facebook is no longer a resposible platform, if it ever was.  Twitter/X is even worse."

Then individual governments will need to decide whether or not  they will let their citizens have access to them. Good luck to Mr Starmer with that.

[ToraToraTora]

As the judge says beyond auto modding it's not really policeable. The costs would sink any business validity. It's a cesspit anyway and I dispair at human kind that it seems to attract so many.

[douglas9401]

Not like our wee, well-balanced, vigorously moderated and exclusive club eh? 😄

[ToraToraTora]

we don't 40000 posts a second dougie!

[Ellipsis]

As per the link in the OP:

In a video posted alongside a blog post, external by the company on Tuesday, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said third-party moderators were "too politically biased" and it was "time to get back to our roots around free expression".

In other words, it's not about the technical issues, it's about the ideology of anyone saying anything on the platform.  It's not a coincidence that Trump, Musk and AI bots are all happening at the same time as Meta is making this change ...

[Atheist]

AB doesn't have fact-checkers; just mods who do their best to ensure a certain level of courtesy.

[Atheist]

If fact-checkers are replaced by posters supporting or opposing other posters, nothing changes.

[douglas9401]

"Surely anybody who takes for gospel something they read on Facebook or X is being a bit silly."

Ladies and gentlemen I give you the countless followers of covfefe.

[fiveleaves]

Terrible decision by Zuckerburg and Meta. Utterly irresponsible behaviour. All that will happen is more lies, conspiracy theories and misinformation

[New Judge]

"All that will happen is more lies, conspiracy theories and misinformation"

So what do you suggest Mr Zuckerburg does about that?

[Atheist]

five... That's what they want.

[Pegasus16]

"That's what they want."

Where have you read that?

[Canary42]

Facebook, like Answerbank, has very many useful features and benefits (those folk who condemn it without ever having used it are saddos IMHO). Unfortunately both FB and AB can be abused, and with its enormously greater traffic FB is impossible to police properly. 

[Untitled]

But isn't the idea of a free to all social media plaform that people are free to postt what they like and it's up to other users with a will to do so to check the facts

that was the idea yes. unfortunately it cannot really stand up to co-ordinated and deliberate large-scale misinformation which in 2016 absolutely overwhelmed the site. individual posters faced with an absolute deluge like that will either just ignore it, maybe block/hide it, and if they deign to challenge it will just get inundated with venomous and often abusive messages. 
 

the same thing is happening now on X, which has transferred more or less all fact checking to its userbase who are extremely unreliable. it's essentially a shouting match between competing troll factories

[New Judge]

"...and with its enormously greater traffic FB is impossible to police properly."

Precisely. There are two options with FB and the like - put up with it as it is or close it down. There's really nothing in between.