Facebook beefs up its defense against election interference
Facebook has stepped up its efforts to defend against “bad actors” trying to meddle with US elections, Mark Zuckerberg said in a 3,260-word post on the site.
What did Facebook do? The social network built machine-learning systems that block “millions of fake accounts every day,” according to Zuckerberg, and removed one billion fake accounts from October to March. It has also doubled the number of people working on safety and security, from 10,000 last year to more than 20,000 this year.
Any specific examples? Facebook says it disrupted the work of Iranian and Russian state actors, as well as subverting misinformation campaigns in Brazil and Myanmar. Zuckerberg also says Facebook detected “coordinated inauthentic behavior” ahead of the US midterm elections in November, without elaborating.
But … Zuckerberg uses phrases like “bad actors” and “adversaries” without quite ever spelling out what he means. There's a risk these anti-hacking measures could catch legitimate governmental criticisms leveled at current regimes.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
What’s next for generative video
OpenAI's Sora has raised the bar for AI moviemaking. Here are four things to bear in mind as we wrap our heads around what's coming.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.