Facebook will soon alert its users with a pop-up notification that asks them to make sure if they have read the article that are about to share and post further. Just like Twitter, the pop-up, which is currently under testing, will ask users if they're sure they want to share an article that they haven't opened. Facebook users can also choose to share it without reading if they want.
"Starting today, we're testing a way to promote more informed sharing of news articles. If you go to share a news article link you haven't opened, we'll show a prompt encouraging you to open it and read it, before sharing it with others," Facebook said in a tweet late on Monday.
The prompt alerts the user by saying “You’re about to share tis article without opening it”, followed by “Sharing articles without reading them may mean missing key facts”. The test would be rolled out to 6% of Android users worldwide, reports The Verge, quoting a company spokesperson.
The move is to curb the dissemination of false information on its platform. The pop-up message will warn users that not opening the article can lead to "missing key facts".
Facebook plans to institute "demotions for content on Facebook and Instagram that our systems predict may be misinformation, including debunked claims about voting. "We are also limiting the distribution of Live videos that may relate to the election on Facebook," the company said last year.
Twitter, which began testing the format last June. From its initial tests, Twitter said people open articles 40% more often after seeing the prompt, and people opening articles before retweeting increased by 33%. It added that some people didn’t end up retweeting after opening the article.
With IANS inputs