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It\u2019s true, Facebook isn\u2019t single-handedly responsible for the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. But the company played an important part in the rise of Donald Trump. Many people now think Facebook has to find a way to flag fake news appropriately before the next election in 2020. But it\u2019s a much more urgent issue.<\/p>\n
Facebook has to weed out fake news before the Dutch, French, Kenyan, Chilean, and many, many other elections<\/a> in 2017. These elections could see populist candidates triumph once again.<\/p>\n The company shouldn\u2019t just question its responsibility<\/a> when there\u2019s an election in the U.S. Given Facebook\u2019s penetration rate around the world, Facebook is now in charge of propagating news in most countries.<\/p>\n I\u2019m tired of seeing Facebook burying<\/a> its head<\/a> in the sand<\/a> on this issue. Instead of issuing multiple half-hearted statements saying that \u201ceverything is fine,\u201d Facebook should be open and transparent about this issue.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter if Facebook thinks that everything is fine and well. Millions of people now think that Facebook could do a better job when it comes to news articles in the news feed. So the company should work on it. It seems like a reasonable thing to ask as this is exactly what technology companies are supposed to do. They iterate, improve their products over time and add new features.<\/p>\n But the worst part is that Facebook\u2019s incentive aren\u2019t directly aligned with everyone\u2019s incentive. Fake news articles spread like a virus. They create a lot of engagement. They improve the number of daily active users, which leads to more ad engagement, which leads to better quarterly earnings.<\/p>\n And yet, it doesn\u2019t matter if Facebook\u2019s quarter is awesome thanks to the presidential election if the company becomes irrelevant in five years. Facebook has to act now to protect its long-term reputation.<\/p>\n Even more important, I\u2019d even say that this issue could greatly damage the economy in many countries, which could have indirect effects on the company\u2019s bottom line. Facebook tends to boost the so-called anti-establishment candidates. Many of them are just populists who want to destroy existing policies in favor of alternative policies that exclude immigrants, minorities and demolish the welfare state. Dividing people into groups and pitting them against each other will never<\/em> lead to systemic economic growth.<\/p>\n And because of Facebook\u2019s algorithm, populist candidates with a vocal fanbase can use Facebook as a megaphone to convert new people. It doesn\u2019t matter if something is true or false. Many people are now looking for articles that will validate their views and share them ad nauseam<\/em>. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to fix the megaphone.<\/p>\n \u201cBut free speech!\u201d you might say. Facebook isn\u2019t a balanced platform in the first place. You choose your friends on Facebook, and they tend to validate your opinion. After Trump\u2019s election, many of my friends told me something along the lines of \u201cI thought my liberal bubble was bigger than it actually is and I blame Facebook.\u201d How many people did you unfriend because they shared some nonsensical article about Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?<\/p>\n