Social Media Platforms, Not Government, Should Combat Fake News, FSF President Says
Linking of fake news stories via Facebook and other social media platforms is a problem that “should be left to the platforms themselves -- and interested private third parties -- to address,” and isn't an issue requiring government intervention, said…
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Free State Foundation President Randolph May in a Friday blog post. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this month Facebook is executing a strategy to fight phony stories, after criticism that such content may have influenced the presidential election, But he said the percentage of fake content on Facebook remains “relatively small” (see 1611210002). “Right now, in the post-election environment, passions on behalf of some are running high, too high in some quarters,” May said. “And when passions run high, oftentimes there are pleas for action, even when the solutions offered might be worse than the supposed ills.” Elements of Facebook's strategy “look promising, at least in theory,” May said. “As a matter of sound policy, the government should stay out of the business of evaluating the truthfulness of news, except, for example, in rare instances involving public health and safety. And as a matter of law, the First Amendment’s free speech clause demands no less.”