Engineers from Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: FB) have found a weakness on Facebook that left News Feeds vulnerable to integrity risks. The weakness has been there for nearly six months. Engineers spotted the problem when they realized that misinformation would go through the news feed.
Typically, the News Feed would have suppressed the misinformation and blocked the repeat offenders. The feed instead amplified their visibility by 30% worldwide. The engineers weren’t able to find the root of the problem.
The bug reoccurred several times
While the problem soon subsided, it would soon come back multiple times. Fortunately, the team was able to fix the bug on March 11. The team noticed that the bug made it impossible for the Facebook systems to stop violence and nudity. It would also recommend news from Russia on the war users even though Meta had stated that it wouldn’t.
The big prevented downranking is a system that tries to maintain the quality of news. Facebook uses the platform to reduce articles that deal with war or controversial political matters. However, this system has been called out for shadow banning. This bug is the first to disrupt the system.
China is planting influencers on social media sites
China has been an economically powerful country for years now. However, it seems that the country also wants to increase its influence. One way it does this is through social media. The country has been accused of planting influences in famous social media sites to spread propaganda.
These social media influencers seem to discuss China’s virtues, misdirect people from claims that the country commits human rights abuses, and share the country’s opinion on the war in Ukraine.
Some of the country’s influencers are state-affiliated reporters. Furthermore, China tries to recruit people as influencers and then give them scripts on what to say to improve its image. Unfortunately, China’s tactics seem to work as many American influencers now cite talking points on different matters, including its mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims.
One of China’s influencers is Li Jingjing, who has a YouTube channel. Jingjing discussed her opinions on the war on Ukraine and even mocked American reporters who covered the war. However, not many of her followers know that she is a reporter on CGTN.
