Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Facebook halts recommendations on political groups

Facebook halts recommendations on political groups

With the 2020 presidential election now just three days away, Facebook Inc. has temporarily halted a feature that recommends political groups to its users.

With the 2020 presidential election now just three days away, Facebook Inc. has temporarily halted a feature that recommends political groups to its users.

The social media giant confirmed the change on Friday and, in a Wednesday Senate hearing, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said the move to "stop recommendations in groups for all political content or social issue groups" was implemented as a "precaution."

The company intends to reverse the measure after Election Day, according to BuzzFeed News.

Two weeks ago, Zuckerberg assured employees that Facebook would impose fewer restrictive rules on content following the divisive contest.

Both the company and its rivals have increased moderation of their content after U.S. intelligence officials said the platforms were exploited by Russian agents using disinformation to influence and inflame voters prior to President Trump's surprise victory in 2016.


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears on a screen as he speaks remotely during a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, in Washington.


Menlo Park, California-based Facebook has created a fact-checked Voting Information Center, blocked 120,000 posts and 2.2 million ads and committed to cracking down on Holocaust denial, the QAnon conspiracy theory and extremist groups.

Reuters reported Friday that the platform promised to limit the distribution of the controversial "save our children" hashtag because of its connections with QAnon.

Facebook's action on algorithmic group recommendations came at the urging of watchdog organizations that complained such groups were being used as vessels to spread misinformation and sow discord.

In May, The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook had chosen to disregard the results of its own internal probe into the company's use of algorithms, noting that they "exploit the human brain's attraction to divisiveness."

At the same time, the social media giant and other Big Tech companies have come under increased scrutiny from lawmakers on broader issues.

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have questioned whether the companies have become monopolies. Democrats, additionally, have said social media platforms do too little to prevent the spread of disinformation and hate speech, while Republicans have accused them of censoring conservative views.

Last week, the Department of Justice filed a landmark suit against search engine giant Google over antitrust complaints, prompting speculation that legal action against other companies might follow.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×