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Facebook to update Trending Topics | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Facebook has announced changes to the way it runs its Trending Topics feed, following an internal investigation. | Facebook has announced changes to the way it runs its Trending Topics feed, following an internal investigation. |
There will be more training for staff and the feed will no longer rely on a list of news organisations, including the BBC, Washington Post and Buzzfeed News, to validate subjects. | There will be more training for staff and the feed will no longer rely on a list of news organisations, including the BBC, Washington Post and Buzzfeed News, to validate subjects. |
The feed, which lists popular headlines along with a brief description, has been accused of political bias. | The feed, which lists popular headlines along with a brief description, has been accused of political bias. |
However, Facebook's report found no evidence of this. | However, Facebook's report found no evidence of this. |
Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch said the investigation analysed 3,000 reviewer decisions following allegations that conservative issues were being suppressed. | Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch said the investigation analysed 3,000 reviewer decisions following allegations that conservative issues were being suppressed. |
The site was accused by anonymous former employees of tampering with its Trending Topics feature, promoting "progressive" views and websites over content presenting views from the American right. | The site was accused by anonymous former employees of tampering with its Trending Topics feature, promoting "progressive" views and websites over content presenting views from the American right. |
Current and former staff were also interviewed by the firm. | Current and former staff were also interviewed by the firm. |
The findings were revealed in a 12-page letter, addressed to US Senator John Thune but also published online, in response to Mr Thune's questions about the workings of Trending. | The findings were revealed in a 12-page letter, addressed to US Senator John Thune but also published online, in response to Mr Thune's questions about the workings of Trending. |
The Trending Topics feed currently works as a mixture of AI and human input, with potential subjects being suggested via algorithm and then reviewed by staff. | The Trending Topics feed currently works as a mixture of AI and human input, with potential subjects being suggested via algorithm and then reviewed by staff. |
They are a mixture of popular subjects discussed on the social network and sourced from 1,000 media organisations. There was also a list of 10 organisations used to determine importance. | They are a mixture of popular subjects discussed on the social network and sourced from 1,000 media organisations. There was also a list of 10 organisations used to determine importance. |
However, "as much as half" of the topics suggested algorithmically are rejected "because they do not make sense at the time or are duplicative", Mr Stretch said. | However, "as much as half" of the topics suggested algorithmically are rejected "because they do not make sense at the time or are duplicative", Mr Stretch said. |
So-called "stale topics" - events still popular in discussions after two days but with no new developments - and "junk hashtags" - popular topics not related to actual events - are also sidelined, he added. | So-called "stale topics" - events still popular in discussions after two days but with no new developments - and "junk hashtags" - popular topics not related to actual events - are also sidelined, he added. |
Topics with sources in foreign languages may also not be included on the grounds that the team may be unable to identify them, Mr Stretch explained. | Topics with sources in foreign languages may also not be included on the grounds that the team may be unable to identify them, Mr Stretch explained. |
The report did find that historically some topics that were discussed over a long period of time did not show up algorithmically. | The report did find that historically some topics that were discussed over a long period of time did not show up algorithmically. |
For example, hashtags relating to the Black Lives Matter campaign failed to appear in December 2014 and were not manually inserted by the Trending Topics review team either. | For example, hashtags relating to the Black Lives Matter campaign failed to appear in December 2014 and were not manually inserted by the Trending Topics review team either. |
However, the topic "Ferguson", which related to the police shooting of Michael Brown in Missouri, was added to compensate for this, wrote Mr Stretch. | However, the topic "Ferguson", which related to the police shooting of Michael Brown in Missouri, was added to compensate for this, wrote Mr Stretch. |
Some Facebook users have queried the relevance of Trending Topics, which at the time of writing range from a "reported wardrobe malfunction" by US socialite Paris Hilton to the results of the Austrian presidential election. | Some Facebook users have queried the relevance of Trending Topics, which at the time of writing range from a "reported wardrobe malfunction" by US socialite Paris Hilton to the results of the Austrian presidential election. |
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