Facebook just released new tools and features to help Facebook Groups administrators weed out misinformation and fake news faster.
This move just adds to a long list of Facebook's fake news eradication campaign. The social media giant has acknowledge the potential harm its platform can create and it has been rolling out anti-misinformation initiatives ever since.
From automated actions to increased regulatory powers, the new tools can certainly make an admin's job a little easier.
Auto-Reject Fake News
The first useful tool or feature for admins is the automatic decline or rejection of a post containing information that has been previously identified by third-party fact-checkers as fake news.
Admins will have the option to enable this function via Admin Assist.
Facebook has the luxury to add this feature because it has previously utilized a global network of fact-checkers to identify which posts contain misinformation or fake news.
What this new tool entails is that when enabled, admins will not have to spend so much time checking the contents of the post. They can just let Admin Assist do its thing, allowing them to focus on other matters like improving how group members interact with each other or other proactive initiatives that does not include intense research.
With the auto-decline feature turned on, admins can tend to more pressing matters like muting or suspending erring members.
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Facebook Groups Enables Suspension
Previously, the remedy against annoying and toxic members of a Facebook group is to mute them. Muting a person means such person's posts will not be seen by the one who muted.
An individual member can mute a person, but admins also have that power which effectively mutes a person against all of the Facebook group members.
But according to Facebook, "sometimes muting isn't enough."
Sometimes, suspensions are in order.
If admins choose to suspend an erring member, such member will not be able to post, react, enter a room, or participate in a chat. This basically reduces the member to a mere spectator ... on handcuffs.
While muting has a definite maximum period of 28 days, suspension carries an indefinite sentence subject to the admin's will. An interesting dilemma that Facebook may need to address in the future is a possible abuse of this power. In the meantime, admins reign supreme.
Facebook Groups Management Now Made Easier
The new Facebook Groups tools are not only about fighting fake news. Admins will also now be able to manage their group easier.
Admin Home will have the following updates:
- The layout will now allow admins to search and sort tasks
- There will be an overview page so admins can see the group's activities and status on a macro level
- An insight summary is now available on mobile which tracks the group's growth and engagement
Aside from the above, a new feature on Admin Assist been added to ensure optimum management of the group. The feature allows admins to set their own criteria on which would-be members can be approved or declined membership. Once the criteria are set, approval and rejection of new applicants to the group will become automatic.
Facebook Groups' new features marks another set of safeguards against the growing misinformation and fake news around the world, especially on social media platforms.
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