- Facebook paused algorithmic recommendations for social and political groups
- The move is initiated a few days before elections.
- The step will also disable recommendations for new groups
U.S. elections are just a few days away. In between this facebook has thrown another bombshell. The company quietly suspended one of its most daunting features. Facebook has paused the recommendations for political and social issue groups.
During Wednesday’s Senate hearing, Ed Markey asked Mark Zuckerberg about reports. Particularly the reports about how his company pushes people towards extreme content. In return, Zuckerberg responded by saying that the company has disabled the feature for certain groups.
Previously the company didn’t announce any such things. “Senators, we have taken the step of stopping recommendations in political and social issue groups”. This is taken as a precautionary measure, says Zuckerberg.
“This is a measure we put in place in the lead up to Election Day”, said Facebook’s spokesperson. “We will assess when to lift them afterward, but they are temporary”. The step will also disable the recommendations for new groups created during the course of time.
Researchers were long concerned about extremism that pushed people towards more extreme content. The company has been aware of this phenomenon since 2016. Facebook observed that “64% of all extremist group joins are due to recommendation tools”.
Facebook’s view on the policy
“It’s good news that Facebook is disabling group recommendations for all political content or social issue groups. I believe it could result in a safer experience”, says Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan A.
On Facebook algorithmic recommendation can lead to flirting with extreme views and violent ideas. The groups discuss various dangerous ideologies that can be amplified and organized. Before the ban, the Proud Boys relied on Facebook Groups for its national recruitment operation.
Members that plotted to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also used such groups to organize, as per FBI affidavit.
