An internal Facebook tool designed to slow the spread of post-election misinformation in “at-risk” countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar will potentially be deployed in the U.S., the social media company announced on Sunday.
The Wall Street Journal reports: “Facebook executives have said they would only deploy the tools in dire circumstances, such as election-related violence, but that the company needs to be prepared for all possibilities, said the people familiar with the planning.”
The Journal adds that the tools include the ability to slow the spread of viral posts, change what types of content users see in their news feed, and lower the threshold for what kinds of content its moderation systems view as dangerous.
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Gizmodo adds that Facebook “established its toolkit for humanitarian intervention after facing widespread criticism for mishandling violent hate speech against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.”
