Facebook unveils steps to combat 2020 US elections disinformation

[SAN FRANCISCO] Facebook on Thursday publicised the steps it is taking to combat foreign interference and online disinformation in the 2020 US elections.

Measures include better securing the accounts of elected officials, indicating the ownership of political pages, or introducing clearer fact-checking labels, the social media giant said in a statement to investors.

"We have a responsibility to stop abuse and election interference on our platform," said the text, based on a blog post issued late last month by Facebook vice-president of integrity Guy Rosen and other executives.

The stepped-up measures, first announced by chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, mark the latest effort by Facebook to prevent a repeat of the online disinformation that marred the 2016 US election.

AFP