5 ms·

For everyone doing all the hand-wringing about Facebook, doesn't existing media (newspapers, TV, cable, etc) already NOT "fact check" ads run on their networks?

bilekas 7y ago
More 'Whataboutism' ? Also can you back up your statement about not fact-checking before anyone claims otherwise ? Unfortunately more people consume Facebook than others, so its a prime target. Also I would point you towards another article : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-advertising-factbox/factbox-how-social-media-sites-handle-political-ads-idUSKBN1XP22G https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-advertising-...
mattigames 7y ago
Is the existing media reaching one third of the world population and part of a single company? You have to keep in mind when talking about facebook that is a machinery of proportions never seen before.
wongarsu 7y ago
Traditional media reviews the ads they run. Most probably don't fact check, but no reputable newspaper would run anything that doesn't at least pass a sniff test.
CaptainZapp 7y ago
Usually you have organizations like advertising standard authorities, who will absolutely crack down on untruthful ads. The ones in Australia and in the UK come to mind and have serious bite in confronting offenders. Add to that that ads in newspapers are clearly identifiable as ads, while this is much more intermingled in social media.
- lurker458 7y ago
  the UK one has no teeth.
paulus_magnus2 7y ago
False advertising is normally a crime (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_advertising https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_advertising) I think (suspect) the trick FB is using is not unlike Uber / Airbnb where they fall just outside regulation. Meaning that sponsored content on FB is just "self-regulated"
- SaltyBackendGuy 7y ago
  Anecdotally, can you remember the last time a big (any?) company got nailed for false advertising? I remember reading marketing material my old company would send out and I knew the application didn't do $the_thing they said it did.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - paulus_magnus2 7y ago
    Actually yes [1], but penalties seam to only be imposed on foreign companies. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/03/hyundai-and-kia-fined-100m-for-misleading-customers-on-fuel-economy https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/03/hyundai-and...
- ThinkingGuy 7y ago
  Part of the skill of advertising/marketing/branding/campaigning/influencing is knowing how to mislead without actually lying.
- StacyRoberts 7y ago
  None of the three are "just outside regulation." They are so far outside it they invest millions lobbying to change the laws so their illegal activity is no longer considered such.

bilekas 7y ago

More 'Whataboutism' ? Also can you back up your statement about not fact-checking before anyone claims otherwise ? Unfortunately more people consume Facebook than others, so its a prime target. Also I would point you towards another article : https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-advertising-factbox/factbox-how-social-media-sites-handle-political-ads-idUSKBN1XP22G https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-advertising-...

mattigames 7y ago

Is the existing media reaching one third of the world population and part of a single company? You have to keep in mind when talking about facebook that is a machinery of proportions never seen before.

wongarsu 7y ago

Traditional media reviews the ads they run. Most probably don't fact check, but no reputable newspaper would run anything that doesn't at least pass a sniff test.

CaptainZapp 7y ago

Usually you have organizations like advertising standard authorities, who will absolutely crack down on untruthful ads. The ones in Australia and in the UK come to mind and have serious bite in confronting offenders. Add to that that ads in newspapers are clearly identifiable as ads, while this is much more intermingled in social media.

lurker458 7y ago
the UK one has no teeth.

paulus_magnus2 7y ago

False advertising is normally a crime (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_advertising https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_advertising) I think (suspect) the trick FB is using is not unlike Uber / Airbnb where they fall just outside regulation. Meaning that sponsored content on FB is just "self-regulated"

SaltyBackendGuy 7y ago
Anecdotally, can you remember the last time a big (any?) company got nailed for false advertising? I remember reading marketing material my old company would send out and I knew the application didn't do $the_thing they said it did.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- paulus_magnus2 7y ago
  Actually yes [1], but penalties seam to only be imposed on foreign companies. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/03/hyundai-and-kia-fined-100m-for-misleading-customers-on-fuel-economy https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/03/hyundai-and...
ThinkingGuy 7y ago
Part of the skill of advertising/marketing/branding/campaigning/influencing is knowing how to mislead without actually lying.
StacyRoberts 7y ago
None of the three are "just outside regulation." They are so far outside it they invest millions lobbying to change the laws so their illegal activity is no longer considered such.