Facebook Lose Two Key Fact Checking Companies

Facebook Lose Two Key Fact Checkers

Over the last 12-months, one of the key focuses on Facebook attempting to win back our trust has been the pledge to improve the information shared on their website. This has already resulted in a somewhat notable change in their advertising standards as well as what ‘group’ or ‘personality’ pages are allowed to post content.

It seems, however, that the social media site has hit a major stumbling block as in a report via the BBC, two of their major ‘fact checking’ sources have quit working for the site.

Why Have They Quit?

At this point, the details surrounding why they stopped working are more than a little unclear. It does, however, appear to be the case that Associated Press and Snopes, the two companies in question, made this decision themselves. Some sources have claimed that their decision to quit may have been due to Facebook’s seeming lack of transparency. Others, however, point to more fundamental reasons that Facebook was exerting pressure on the companies as if they owned them.

What Has Facebook Said?

The social media site hasn’t commented specifically, yet, on this matter. They have, however, confirmed that 34 other fact-checking companies are still commissioned. As such, despite these two major ones dropping out, there is still plenty of news monitoring going on. Anyway you look at this, however, such news isn’t going to help bolster consumer confidence.

What do you think? Will this cause a major problem for Facebook? – Let us know in the comments!