Facebook Downgrades Posts That Promote Miracle Cures (venturebeat.com) 87
Facebook said on Tuesday that it's downgrading content that makes dubious health claims, including posts that try to sell or promote "miracle cures." From a report: Big technology platforms have faced growing criticism over the spread of fake or misleading content. Reports emerged last year that Facebook had been featuring homemade cancer "cures" more prominently than genuine information from renowned organizations, such as cancer research charities. And a few months back, a separate report found that YouTube videos were promoting bleach as a cure for autism. Facebook also recently said it would crack down on anti-vaccine content. The fight against digital misinformation is ongoing, and it isn't limited to spurious health cures. "In order to help people get accurate health information and the support they need, it's imperative that we minimize health content that is sensational or misleading," Facebook product manager Travis Yeh wrote in a blog post.
I, for one (Score:2)
..welcome our new Facebook overlords. /., for its part, gets its chumbox [wikipedia.org] from Taboola. So despite having ads disabled, I can still read about the 3 dangerous foods to feed my dog or the Dr. Marty ProPower Plus Supplement.
Re:I, for one (Score:4, Funny)
When I've tried to put snakes in my oil press, I didn't get oil out of them.
You're using the wrong press - send me $199.95 and I'll get the right one out to you.
What about my product? (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
That's nothing, I got a friend request from somebody saying she'll move that swelling in a different part of my pants!
Seriously, the request seemed to come from somebody I used to work with who apparently used her services...
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I'm always glad to meet a fellow agile development consultant!
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How about the opposite direction?
It does work (Score:2)
And a few months back, a separate report found that YouTube videos were promoting bleach as a cure for autism.
I mean.. Technically it is correct.
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And a few months back, a separate report found that YouTube videos were promoting bleach as a cure for autism.
I mean.. Technically it is correct.
I don't believe death fits the "technical" definition of a cure
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Going through the definitions of cure, I can't find anything that prohibits death. A cure is anything that "removes a condition or disease".
whaaaa (Score:2, Informative)
Oh fuck off! Being white in America is fucking awesome. Has been for ages. Have you tried not being an asshole?
This is the same slope as before (Score:1)
Spraying users with malicious or ignorant content is not a good thing, but Facebook, just like Twitter, is ill suited for the task of patrolling these. We saw what happened with Twitter and its "council" of highly interested interest organizations. The end result wasn't a better social media network, it was a social media network better for the interest groups that did the patrolling.
If we start with TFS it's pretty benign. No one is cheering for cancer, and no one is on the side of the "miracle cure" peddl
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It actually DOES remove bad content, you're just an apologist whiner.
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Fact checking is great, but combining it with censorship is a well-intentioned path to someplace profoundly unpleasant, and once there I bet there will be other reasons to expand the censorship.
Back in the day, AOL used to ban people from the service just for cussing in the chatrooms.
It's the online version of "no shirt, no shoes, no service". Don't like it? Go somewhere else, or start your own business. Considering where AOL is today, it seems the free market approach works just fine.
Downgrade or Warning? (Score:2)
I have to say that I'm suspicious of downgrading as the post is still there as is.
If FB can recognize that this is snake oil, how about telling people that it's snake oil rather than just making it slightly harder to find?
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If FB can recognize that this is snake oil,
They can't. Their false positive/negative count is way too high.
But how will extremist quacks finance stuff? (Score:3)
If we start cracking down on quack cures, next thing you know they won't let people Lie and Defraud others!
That reminds me of this (Score:4, Funny)
What a coincidence (Score:2)
This happens the just after Prince Charles becomes the patron of The Faculty of Homeopothy [cnn.com]
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Golf clap, well played sir
Miracle Cure for Stupidity (Score:2)
Thanks for saving us savages, Facebook.
Male enhancement? (Score:2)
Fun with Facebook (Score:2)
You mean I can't learn about the weird trick for getting rid of belly fat?
Darn.
...laura
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The one they don't want you to know?
Once again doing the least possible (Score:2)
If you believe that they are not banning them because of first amendment issues, youâ(TM)re a useful idiot. Itâ(TM)s all about money. They have repeatedly shown that they have no decency , no moral compass , no ethics - same as their buddy Trump.
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Is anybody getting the fucking message ... (Score:2)
... that social media is useless as tits on a boar hog for information?
It takes a special kind of stupid to rely on a cat video platform for anything but cat videos.
#deletefacebook
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Phew, biological warfare is still safe (Score:1)
Now that my archnemesis has been thwarted!
Bleach?! (Score:2)
"And a few months back, a separate report found that YouTube videos were promoting bleach as a cure for autism"
Hopefully they were recommending that these idiot parents ingest the bleach instead of the kids...
Jesus fuck people have we really come to this point in "evolution"??!
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What your doctor won't tell you (Score:2)
"You're stupid. The cure for that is in the library, not in medicine.". That's what your doctor won't tell you. She is polite and also wants to avoid your fist of genius argument.
But I thought (Score:2)