Facebook steps up fight against coronavirus misinformation

Many Facebook groups based in Mali and Nigeria began sharing a video of a helicopter on December 9, claiming it showed an aircraft delivering weapons to terrorists. In Mali, the posts often accused the French government of operating the helicopter, while posts coming from Nigeria laid the blame on the Nigerian government. In reality, the video is from neither one of these countries – it was filmed in the Central African Republic during a routine supply drop.

For the first time since inception in 2004, Facebook lost about 5 lakh users on a daily basis during Oct-Dec 2021. That saw the shares of its parent company, Meta, plunge 20 percent on the exchanges, wiping off $200 bn in market capitalisation.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday⁣.⁣

A photo showing scores of Ukrainians under a destroyed bridge in Irpin has been used to argue that Ukrainian forces have been preventing civilians from fleeing the conflict. The photo in question is a snapshot in time; other photos and footage show the Ukrainian army helping civilians evacuate to safety. Also, we debunk a video that has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine.

Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta, has been designated as an "extremist" organization by a Russian court. But Meta's WhatsApp is excluded from the ban.

The European Union agreed on new regulations that require social media companies and online marketplaces to remove illegal content. Advertisement targeting minors will also be banned.

Sandberg helped transform the company into an over $100-billion-a-year powerhouse. She will continue to serve on the board of directors.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, among others, is facing several economic constraints. Mark Zuckerberg said he will "get more done with fewer resources."

Amnesty International accuses Facebook of exacerbating human rights violations in Myanmar. It claims the social network proactively "amplified" anti-Rohingya content back in 2017, when the country's military launched a deadly crackdown on the ethnic minority.

Meta Platforms Inc META.O said on Wednesday it will let go of 13% of its workforce, or more than 11,000 employees, in one of the biggest layoffs this year as the Facebook parent battles soaring costs and a weak advertising market.

The EU's competition watchdog has accused tech giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, of breaching antitrust rules. An early analysis says the firm distorted competition in the online classified ads business.

The former US president had been blocked from the social media platforms since the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Meta said it was taking measures to prevent "repeat offenders" from violating its rules.