Facebook to ‘turn down the temperature’ by reducing political talk on the platform

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook is seeking to “turn down the temperature” on its sprawling platform by reducing the kind of divisive and inflammatory political talk it has long hosted.

Facebook has been pounded with criticism that it not only hasn’t done enough to curb misinformation and vitriol on its network, but that its algorithm actually tended to encourage such posts because of the attention they grab.

The social media giant will no longer recommend politics-themed groups to users, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday, making permanent a measure put in place during the combative US election won by President Joe Biden.