Facebook is going to start cracking down on the spread of fake news. To do so, they've added a new feature that will flag posts containing a label to alert users it is "false information."

Facebook is going to start cracking down on the spread of fake news. To do so, they’ve added a new feature that will flag posts containing a label to alert users it is “false information.”

According to Facebook the posts will be labeled by their own “independent fact checkers.” The labels will appear on posts and stories. Users will still be able to see the original content, however, they will be warned it is fake and will have to click through the warning.

This new feature comes less than two weeks after the Senate Intelligence Committee called Instagram, “the most effective tool” used by the internet research campaign.

Along with warning viewers of false information, Instagram will also warn users who are posting false information that has already been “debunked.” Before said post is made, they’ll get an alert telling them fact checkers have already debunked said information. As shown here.

Instagram said, “In addition to clearer labels, we’re also working to take faster action to prevent misinformation from going viral, especially given that quality reporting and fact-checking takes time,” Instagram then goes on to say, “In many countries, including in the US, if we have signals that a piece of content is false, we temporarily reduce its distribution pending review by a third-party fact-checkers.

Will Facebook and Instagram use this to silence opinions they simply disagree with? Who knows. But, it is very possible. We’ve seen people get suspended and even banned from other platforms in a similar manner. Rest assured, we will be sure to keep you updated.