Did she really? That’s the tricky thing: I can’t tell, sometimes.
As Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said near the beginning of the Sept. 5, 2018 intelligence hearing regarding Facebook, there’s much ambiguity and obscurity related to content on Facebook that, “changes minds and hardens opinions.” And you can’t immediately tell where some memes, videos, photos, messages, links and GIFs are coming from.
That’s why, to truly determine what information is authentic on Facebook, you have to rely on people like this:
A USA TODAY analysis found Russians bought Facebook ads to target Hispanic Americans after the 2016 presidential election. USA TODAY’s @bradheath and @lauramandaro explored the ads and are taking your questions on what they reveal. https://t.co/DbHrWdlnyC
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 25, 2018
Journalists and researchers who aggregate a massive amount of data, study social trends and hold Facebook accountable. Take this, for instance:
The only “Collusion” is that of the Democrats with Russia and many others. Why didn’t the FBI take the Server from the DNC? They still don’t have it. Check out how biased Facebook, Google and Twitter are in favor of the Democrats. That’s the real Collusion!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2018
Oh, sorry. Just kidding. He’s not too helpful. Take this, for instance:
Worthwhile to read through this whole thread of Stamos replying to our report: https://t.co/0QXNjU0waB
— Sheera Frenkel (@sheeraf) November 15, 2018
Frenkel and others at The New York Times just published an investigation into Facebook’s campaign to “Delay, Deny and Deflect” criticism after the 2016 election. While this isn’t exactly content moderation, it’s a push to hold the technology giant accountable and provide citizens relevant information and context as to how Facebook operated during a major PR crisis.
It can be tricky. You can’t always immediately identify sources on Facebook. But you can rely on researchers and journalists, like Nick Penzenstadler, Brad Heath, Jessica Guynn and Frenkel, to help do that for you, or explain situations at the massive company.