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Sandberg: Facebook ‘Proactively’ Censoring ‘Fake News’ – ‘We Should Have Done This Earlier’

Christian Datoc Senior White House Correspondent
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Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie that the social media company is doubling down on efforts to censor and eliminate the economic incentives behind fake news.

“The first thing we’re doing is we’re going after fake accounts. People think of fake news as politically motivated, and a lot of it is, but even more of it is economically motivated,” she explained in an interview that ran on Friday’s broadcast of “Today.” “People want to write outlandish headlines so you click so they make money. So we’re going after the economic incentive.”

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Sandberg also said they’re “working with third-party fact checkers,” and highlighted a pre-2018 election “partnership with the AP in all 50 states.”

Facebook will “proactively have feet on the ground looking for fake news, marking it and reducing distribution.”

“We should have done this earlier,” Sandberg claimed. “We are as focused as we know how to be be now, and I think taking very assertive steps in all of these areas.”

Sandberg’s comments come just days before CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

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