READY FOR ACTION

Facebook Unveils Plan to Fight 2020 Census Misinformation

The social media giant will train a census-focused staff and algorithms to detect census-related content.

Facebook is building a team to fight misinformation about the 2020 U.S. Census, the company announced in a report on Sunday. It plans to release a policy this fall that will prevent users from misrepresenting Census-gathering information in an attempt to stop voter suppression and intimidation. Part of the approach will include training a staff to specifically focus on handling Census-related content. The company will also train its algorithms to detect and delete information on the Census, Politico reports. In a statement, Facebook cited the affect foreign influence on the 2016 election has had on making the company more proactive against these kinds of attacks. “We were more prepared for these kinds of attacks in the 2018 U.S. midterms than we were in 2016, having expanded our policies against voter suppression and we will continue to improve ahead of the upcoming U.S. elections,” the statement said. The Census, which will affect political redistricting for the next decade, has been flagged by some groups as having the potential to lead to harassment, discrimination, and the disenfranchisement of different minority groups.