Facebook COO Sandberg Unveils Five-Step Plan to Combat Misinformation
Facing intense backlash over election interference and data privacy failures, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg details a comprehensive new strategy to secure the platform. The company also announces key partnerships in Germany ahead of EU parliamentary elections.
Stung by intense criticism over its role in spreading disinformation, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg unveils a five-step plan at the DLD conference in Munich to regain public trust. The strategy focuses on investing in safety, protecting against election interference, cracking down on fake accounts, giving users control over their data, and increasing transparency. This announcement comes as Facebook continues to face severe public backlash following the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the platform's unintended role in democratic manipulation.
To tackle these massive challenges, Facebook significantly expands its safety operations and now employs 30,000 people to monitor the platform for hate speech and false information. Sandberg admits that the company's previous cybersecurity policies are inadequate for dealing with state actors who attempt to sow disinformation. In response, Facebook actively removes thousands of accounts and pages that coordinate disinformation campaigns, blocking more than one million fake accounts every single day.
Looking ahead to the upcoming EU parliamentary elections, Sandberg announces a new partnership with Germany's office for information and security to help guide regional policymaking. Facebook also pledges funding for a German university to investigate the ethics of artificial intelligence. Additionally, the company collaborates with global fact-checkers and adjusts its algorithms to show related articles so users can see multiple perspectives on controversial topics.