Nick Clegg challenged to tackle Facebook 'fake news'
Feb. 25, 2019NEWS FROM OPEN KNOWLEDGE INTERNATIONAL
EMBARGO: 00.01 GMT, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26th, 2019
NICK CLEGG CHALLENGED TO TACKLE FACEBOOK ‘FAKE NEWS’ AHEAD OF EU ELECTIONS
Facebook’s global affairs boss Sir Nick Clegg has been challenged to tackle the spread of ‘fake news’ on Facebook ahead of vital European elections. Catherine Stihler, chief executive of Open Knowledge International and a former MEP, has written to the former UK Deputy Prime Minister to request more transparency from Facebook and its assistance in resuscitating the three foundations of ‘tolerance, facts and ideas’. Facebook has been at the centre of a series of rows about disinformation on social media, particularly in connection with the 2016 Brexit referendum. Ms Stihler has asked for detailed statistics on efforts by Facebook to tackle disinformation, an update on the number of fake accounts the platform continues to host, what progress is being made on working with third-part fact-checkers in the EU27, and a response to last week’s Commons report which concluded that Facebook needs stricter regulation to end the spread of ‘fake news’.
In her letter to Sir Nick, Catherine Stihler wrote: “It is imperative that we do not allow disinformation and fake news to blight this year’s European Parliamentary elections. “The acceptance of basic facts is under threat, with many expert views dismissed and a culture of ‘anti-intellectualism’ from those on the extremes of politics. “The way forward is to resuscitate the three foundations of tolerance, facts and ideas, to prevent the drift to the extremes, and Facebook has a vital role to play in that. “With the rise of extremist parties across the continent, we owe it to the people of Europe to let the facts be heard in the run-up to these crucial elections.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The full letter is as follows:
Dear Sir Nick,
Congratulations on your recent appointment as vice-president of global affairs and communications at Facebook.
Nearly twenty years have now passed since we were elected together to serve as Members of the European Parliament, but I know we continue to share the same passion for the European Union.
Earlier this month, I started in my new role as chief executive officer of Open Knowledge International, a non-profit organisation which fights for open data and helps groups access and use data to address social problems.
You can find out more about our work here: https://okfn.org/
I am writing to you ahead of this May’s European elections, when social media is expected to play a huge role in the campaign in every member state.
Facebook will be the most popular platform for political parties and candidates looking to reach voters with their messages.
However, following the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Referendum in 2016, I share the concerns of many about targeted disinformation campaigns.
It is imperative that we do not allow disinformation and fake news to blight this year’s European Parliamentary elections.
The acceptance of basic facts is under threat, with many expert views dismissed and a culture of ‘anti-intellectualism’ from those on the extremes of politics.
The way forward is to resuscitate the three foundations of tolerance, facts and ideas, to prevent the drift to the extremes, and Facebook has a vital role to play in that.
With the rise of extremist parties across the continent, we owe it to the people of Europe to let the facts be heard in the run-up to these crucial elections.
I was among the signatories to a recent letter authored by the Mozilla Foundation, which made the following asks: Roll out a functional, open Ad Archive API that enables advanced research and development of tools that analyse political ads served to Facebook users in the EU. Ensure that all political advertisements are clearly distinguished from other content and are accompanied by key targeting criteria such as sponsor identity and amount spent on the platform in all EU countries. Cease harassment of good faith researchers who are building tools to provide greater transparency into the advertising on your platform.
I am pleased that Rob Leathern, Product Director at Facebook, has since said the Ad API will be opened in ‘late March’.
However, I remain concerned about Facebook’s transparency ahead of the upcoming elections.
Earlier this year, European Commissioner Sir Julian King requested detailed statistics on efforts by Facebook to tackle disinformation, and I seek an update on his request.
I would also like to know how many fake accounts the platform continues to host, and what progress is being made on working with third-part fact-checkers in each of the 27 member states participating in the forthcoming elections.
I would also welcome your response to the findings and detailed recommendations of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which last week concluded that Facebook needs stricter regulation to end the spread of fake news.
Open Knowledge International helps governments, universities, and civil society organisations reach their full potential by providing them with skills and tools to publish, use, and understand data.
We are the experts in opening up knowledge: we created the Open Definition in 2005, the gold standard for open data, and have over ten years of experience in addressing technological, legal and social challenges around open data.
As such, I would welcome a meeting to further discuss Facebook’s approach to transparency and look forward to your response.
Yours faithfully,
CATHERINE STIHLER
Chief Executive Officer Open Knowledge International
Contact: Alan Roden at alan.roden@okfn.org or +44 07753 904 531