Facebook is ramping up content moderation efforts with “new urgency.”
Facebook is working “24/7” to tackle content including “stop the steal” from spreading across the network ahead of the US Inauguration Day. With the scenes at the Capitol building fresh in our minds and as US police continue to hunt down rioters involved in the siege, thoughts have turned toward the upcoming inauguration, when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office on January 20. The FBI has warned states of potentially armed protests ahead of and during the event, and in an attempt to prevent Facebook from becoming a means to incite further violence, the social network has begun preparing for Inauguration Day with “new urgency.” According to Guy Rosen and Monika Bickert, Facebook VPs of Integrity and Global Policy Management, the company has assessed the next two weeks as a “major civic event.” On January 11, the duo said the same teams used to tackle inappropriate content ahead of the US election are now in place to try and stop the spread of misinformation, conspiracies, and violent content. Facebook is now targeting “stop the steal,” a phrase used by Trump supporters who believe the election was stolen, on both the main network and Instagram.
