Facebook, Google step up fight against fake news

Facebook announced Monday it's clamping down on the spread of misinformation by blocking websites that publish fake news stories from using its advertising services to bring in revenue. The social media site's updated policy explicitly includes fake news sites, and makes it clear it will "not display ads in sites that show misleading or illegal content, to include fake news sites," The New York Times reported. "Our team will continue to closely vet all prospective publishers and monitor existing ones to ensure compliance," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.
Facebook's announcement followed a similar move by Google, which announced Monday afternoon that it would block websites that published fake news from using its online advertising service.
Both Facebook and Google faced backlash after the presidential election, with critics wondering how much the spread of misinformation may have influenced the election outcome.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate