2020 US Elections: Amid criticism, Facebook unveils security measures

Facebook recently announced that it was tightening its security system due to the 2020 US elections. This comes amid heavy criticism of "state-controlled" media allegedly trying to manipulate American voters.

Facebook faces sophisticated attacks from nation-states

Facebook executive chief Mark Zuckerberg recently announced during a conference call that Facebook will be taking certain measures to control the content shared on its website and the check the activities taking place as elections have changed significantly since 2016, and Facebook has changed too. 

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He also added that his company had recently faced increasingly sophisticated attacks from nation-states, but they are well prepared for it and are planning to imply new rules for the website. One of the new steps calls for labeling of messages coming from state-controlled media outlets, starting next month. 

Read: Facebook CEO Defended Free Speech without Taking Reporters' Questions

Reducing the viral spread of misinformation using “pop-up”

Facebook also declared that it would be working on reducing the viral spread of misinformation. It will be done by using the “pop-up” technique that will appear when people attempt to share posts on Instagram debunked by third-party fact-checkers. It also said that since quality reporting and fact-checking takes time, they are working effectively to prevent rumors and misinformation from going viral on the website.

Read: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Defends Free Speech

According to the Facebook blog post, the company will keep a few pages transparent because they combine the opinion-making influence of a media organization with the strategic backing of a state. It also explained that if they find that a piece of content is false on the website, they will immediately reduce its distribution. 

Facebook also offered to provide new protections against the accounts of political candidates, keeping track of their accounts and preventing them from getting hacked or hijacked. It also mentioned the fact that it will be keeping an eye on inappropriate practices. Practices that include "voter suppression" or any efforts by political leaders to mislead people about where or when to vote, on the website through posts or direct messages. 

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