(Bloomberg) — Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. will provide funds to clamp down on misinformation before Australia’s election as the social-media giant responds to accusations it hasn’t done enough to reduce the spread of inaccurate or harmful content.
Researchers from Melbourne’s RMIT University will join Meta’s external fact-checkers from March 21, Josh Machin, head of public policy for Meta Australia, said Tuesday. Along with Agence France Presse and Australian Associated Press, RMIT FactLab will receive a one-off payment to help review content, Machin said. A Meta representative declined to specify the sums involved.
Meta, whose platforms include Facebook and Instagram, spent about $5 billion on safety and security in 2021, part of its effort to reduce election interference, misinformation and abuse, Machin wrote in a blog post. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison must hold an election by the end of May.
If material is rated as false, Meta reduces its distribution, notifies those who try to share it, and issues a warning with a link to an article that debunks the misinformation, Machin wrote.
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