The election in Germany over the weekend saw the ascent of the area ’s nationalist Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) political party , the first time in decades that a far - rightfield radical has win seats in German sevens . It also marked Facebook ’s first literal election security tryout since the company has fully hail to terms with the widespread political misinformation on its platform .
In a video program before the election , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that his company was focused on protect the unity of the German election process . It was the first timeZuckerberg had addressed election interference in detailafterinitially brushing offFacebook ’s influence on elections after the 2016 US presidential subspecies .
“ We have been working to ensure the wholeness of the German elections this weekend , from consider action against thousands of fake account statement , to partnering with public authorization like the Federal Office for Information Security , to apportion security practice with the candidates and parties . We ’re also examining the activity of accounts we ’ve remove and have not yet find a like case of effort in Germany , ” Zuckerbergsaid , referencing Russian advertizement leverage aim candidates and voters in the U.S. election .
Now , Facebook is updating those numbers . Richard Allan , Facebook ’s frailty Chief Executive of public policy for Europe , the Middle East , and Africa , herald today thatFacebook removed “ ten of thousands ” of fake accountsin Germany during the tether - up to the election .
Although Facebook declined to give the exact number of report remove , “ tens of thousands ” is patently a pronounced increment from the chiliad previously referenced by Zuckerberg .
The number of story delete by Facebook has been a informant of contestation between the company and members of Congress like Senator Mark Warner , who hascriticized Facebook ’s decisionto delete 470 Russian - linked write up in the US while it removed 30,000 accounting forward of the election in France . Facebook , for its part , contends that the 470 accounts in question were like to the Internet Research Agency , a Russian troll farm , while its account deletion metrics for France and Germany reflect the total number of account removed , not just single tied to political misinformation activity .
Allan also ply more details about Facebook ’s attempt in Germany , pronounce the party check member of parliament and candidates about on-line security and create a channel for authorities with Germany ’s Federal Office for Information Security to account “ publication related to security and legitimacy ” leading up to the election .
“ Protecting the wholeness of our platform during elections is a huge focus for us and something we are attached to — specially in the face of unfriendly and co - ordinated interventions , ” Allan said . “ Staying before of those who are trying to abuse our service is a unceasing effort led by our surety and unity squad . ”
Facebook said it also used several new creature in an effort to poke at German voter towards authentic content on the political platform . The company has invited candidates to publicly stake their policy positions on Facebook in prior elections , but it has incorporate this feature more heavily into the News Feed . After someone in Germany or France clicked on an clause related to their election , Facebook offered them the chance to compare the policy positions outlined by the candidates .
Facebook also offered a hub where user could see all the candidates listed on the ballot , and prompted user to follow their new representatives after the voting closed .
Although Zuckerberg suggest that Facebook did not observe a coordinate misinformation campaign in Germany during the election , Allan says that Facebook did n’t only invalidate fake account and false news . “ These action did not rid of misinformation entirely in this election — but they did make it harder to go around , and less likely to look in people ’s News Feeds , ” he explicate . “ We learned a lot , and will continue to apply those deterrent example in other approaching election . ”
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