Russia-Ukraine war: Facebook adding more labels to state media posts
Update gives users a warning when they click a link to a state-controlled website
Cybersecurity expert Theresa Payton shares advice for Americans on combating a Russian cyber attack.
Meta, formerly Facebook, on Tuesday announced that it is taking additional steps to prevent the spread of potential misinformation from state-controlled media outlets amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Facebook and Instagram currently label posts from state media outlets, so that users know when they are reading content from a news outlet controlled by a government entity.
Facebook's latest update will give users an additional warning when they click a link to a state-controlled website.
Meta, formerly Facebook, on Tuesday announced that it is taking additional steps to prevent the spread of potential misinformation from state-controlled media outlets amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Facebook)
"This link is from a publisher Facebook believes may be partially or wholly under the editorial control of the Russian government," an example of one such warning reads. The warning then directs users to click through to the publisher's website or "go back" to Facebook.
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The goal of the latest update is to ensure "people know who they are hearing from," Nathaniel Gleicher, Meta's head of security policy, said in a Tuesday tweet.
The change comes as social media websites combat propaganda and misinformation as Russia continues its military operation in Ukraine.
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"Over the past several days, we began demoting content from Facebook pages and Instagram accounts from Russian state-controlled media outlets, and we are making them harder to find across our platforms," Gleicher explained.
Meta has also "begun to demote posts with links to Russian state-controlled media websites on Facebook."
"In the days ahead, we will label these links so people who do see them will have context before clicking or sharing. We plan to take similar steps on Instagram as well," he said. "We expect these outlets could create new sites or dynamic links in an effort to evade enforcement. We’ll continue to adjust for additional links as we confirm them."
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Gleicher announced last week that Meta is also "prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing" on Facebook and Instagram "anywhere in the world."
The social media giant has also provided safety resources to Ukrainians and Russians who may be seeking assistance.
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"We’ve established a special operations center staffed by experts from across the company, including native Russian and Ukrainian speakers, who are monitoring the platform around the clock, allowing us to respond to issues in real time," Meta previously told FOX Business in a statement.
Reports from over the weekend indicated that the Kremlin may be blocking some Russians' access to social media amid the crisis.