Facebook has long had the problem of false information. Social media platforms are often ridiculed, but the company seems to be working on a new protective measure: Facebook is launching a new test that will force users to read the article before it is published. This comes from the company’s tweet, which had a similar idea last year, that is, to implement a similar function on Twitter, inviting people to read the article first and then tweet.
Starting today, we’re testing a way to promote more informed sharing of news articles. If you go to share a news article link you haven’t opened, we’ll show a prompt encouraging you to open it and read it, before sharing it with others. pic.twitter.com/brlMnlg6Qg
— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) May 10, 2021
In a new test, when users try to share a news article displayed on Facebook, the app will prompt them to read the article before sharing the article. By doing so, Facebook hopes that more people can read news articles and get all the data before the news is posted on the website.
However, if you don’t want to read this article or have already read the test elsewhere, it won’t prevent you from sharing it completely. You can skip the warning in the message and only share the article in the feed.
The new test is currently not applicable to many people. According to reports, a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge that the company will test about 6% of Android users worldwide. It must be a user, but hopefully over time, the test will expand to more users.
It’s not clear how effective the test is in curbing the spread of misinformation on social media platforms that contain multiple scandals, including the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal, but if Twitter’s adoption is indicative, Facebook’s test should slow down misinformation Spread on the platform.