Security News > 2020 > June > Facebook labels ‘state-controlled’ Russian, Chinese, Iranian media
Facebook last week began slapping "State controlled" labels on media outlets that it's determined are under the thumb of a government.
According to NPR, as of Thursday's announcement, Pages and posts from at least 18 media outlets had been labelled "State-controlled media," including Russia Today, Russia's Sputnik News, China's People's Daily, China Xinhua News, and Iran's Press TV. The Facebook Pages for all of the outlets are now carrying transparency notices that advise users that they're "Wholly or partially under the editorial control of a state," as determined by factors including funding, structure and journalistic standards.
In coming months, Facebook will also begin barring state-controlled outlets from buying advertising in the US. Gleicher noted that these outlets "Rarely" advertise in the US. The move to bar foreign ad-buying comes from "An abundance of caution to provide an extra layer of protection against various types of foreign influence in the public debate" ahead of the 2020 presidential election in November, he said.
The labels will initially be shown to US Facebook users and will roll out to other countries over time.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg was lambasted after Facebook declined to do anything about the president's threatening statements on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.