Dozens Of Facebook Employees Combat Misinformation In 'War Room'

Loading...
Loading...

Facebook, Inc. FB briefed reporters Wednesday on its latest efforts to prevent election interference, identify and remove fake news and prevent malicious activity.

What Happened

In a conference room in Facebook's Menlo Park, California headquarters, the company has assembled a "war room" consisting of dozens of employees with expertise in safety and security, threat intelligence, data science and other fields, The Verge reported. Facebook's war room has existed in some form since 2016.

The social media platform decided to assemble one team of experts and have them all work from the same conference room to improve decision-making, according to The Verge. Last week alone, Facebook removed more than 550 pages and more than 250 accounts from the U.S. for using fake profiles and coordinating political information campaigns.

Why It's Important

Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity,  told CNBC that if the system it has in place now would have existed in the same form in 2016, the company could have prevented alleged Russian manipulation of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

What's Next

Facebook's need to operate "war room" is being viewed by the company as the "new normal," Katie Harbath, Facebook's global politics and government outreach director, told The Verge. People with malicious intent will become more sophisticated over time, and the company is committed to adapt as necessary to catch them, she said. 

Related Links:

Pivotal's Brian Wieser: Facebook 'Not As In Control Of Its Business As It Needs To Be'

Midterms And The Stock Market: Potential Winners, Losers From The Coming Election

Loading...
Loading...
Posted In: MediaCNBCelectionsThe VergeWar Room
We simplify the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!

Loading...