Facebook to Allow Users to Turn Off News Feed Algorithm

FACEBOOK is going to allow users to turn off the algorithm that powers its news feed.

Facebook has taken the decision to join Twitter in letting users choose a chronological feed of content on their homepages.
Facebook will give more context on suggested content by enlarging the “Why am I seeing this?” button, users will also be able to control who can comment on their posts.
The decision has been taken ahead of a first draft of the UK’s new Online Safety Bill, which will most likely give powers to Ofcom allowing them to audit how algorithms work on social media platforms.
Transparency in algorithms has become a focal point for regulators, with companies seen promoting harmful content and creating echo chambers for people sharing conspiracy theories and extreme political and religious beliefs.
Tim Cook, Apple chief executive, recently criticised Facebook in the aftermath of the mob attack at the Capitol building. Although he did not name Facebook specifically.
Mr Cook said: “We can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement.”
“At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms… it’s long past time to stop pretending that this approach doesn’t come with a cost – of polarisation, of lost trust and, yes, of violence.”
The move towards transparency comes as the UK’s former deputy prime minister, Sir Nick Clegg, and now Facebook’s vice president of global affairs, published an article addressing “common misconceptions about the algorithms’ impact on users and society.”
Sir Nick writes: “Even if you agree that Facebook’s incentives do not support the deliberate promotion of extreme content, there is nonetheless a widespread perception that political and social polarisation, especially in the United States, has grown because of the influence of social media.”
“This has been the subject of swathes of serious academic research in recent years – the results of which are in truth mixed, with many studies suggesting that social media is not the primary driver of polarisation after all, and that evidence of the filter bubble effect is thin at best,” he argues.
Another change Facebook will make is with who can comment on a users post, a feature that is used by Twitter.

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