Spam or SPAM

Facebook deleted 865 million spam posts on the platform in 2018 and has also removed 1.5 billion fake accounts later that year as part of the social media platform’s effort against spam (Hutchinson 2018) (Ingraham 2018). The company not only used bots but also enlisted humans, including fact-checking editors and its own users to fight fakes new that are spreading on the site. The company also added new category to its list of prohibited content: Bullying and Harassment and Child Nudity and Sexual Exploitation of Children (Ingraham 2018).

The implementation of policies to fight spam and efforts will bring about positive impacts in the online landscape.

Less Time Wasted on Spam

Consumers will spend less time on irrelevant advertisements in one’s inbox and missing an important message that went to the junk mail folder (Rao,J.M. & Reiley, D.H 2012). This will also remove irrelevant content and advertisements when scrolling through social media.

This means that you are able to spend more time viewing quality content on Facebook and Instagram, providing a better user experience in all.

Bye to Fake Followers

In the above video, Xiaxue and Deekosh are seen using a using Social Blade, a platform that allows user to track statistics on social media, such as growth and authencity of followers.

The eradication of bots and spam account will also see a more concrete influencer marketing. This ensures that influencers are less readily able to purchase fake accounts to support their follower count. Businesses are better able to identify an influencer’s reach and engagement and ensure that their digital campaigns are able to attain results.

No More Fake News

Four in five Singaporeans say that they can confidently spot fake news. However, only about 90% of Singaporeans mistakenly identified at least one out of five fake headlines as being real when they were put to the test (Ng 2018).

The expulsion of spam will ensure that only concrete and reliable news sources are made available on social media and websites. This is very important as fake news may cause political and social unrest. And with the General Election coming up, it is even more crucial that news circulating online are reliable.

I will be signing off here today! What other benefits do you think the efforts to fight spam and bots will bring? Share with me in the comments!

References:

1. Hutchinson, A. (2018). Facebook Outlines the Number of Fake Accounts on Their Platform in New Report. [online] Social Media Today. Available at: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-outlines-the-number-of-fake-accounts-on-their-platform-in-new-repo/523614/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].
2. Ingraham, N. (2018). Facebook removed over 1.5 billion fake accounts in the last six months. [online] Engadget. Available at: https://www.engadget.com/2018/11/15/facebook-transparency-report-fake-account-removal/ [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].
3. Ng, H. (2018). 4 in 5 Singaporeans confident in spotting fake news but 90 per cent wrong when put to the test: Survey. [online] The Strait Times. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/4-in-5-singaporeans-confident-in-spotting-fake-news-but-90-per-cent-wrong-when-put-to-the [Accessed 1 Apr. 2019].
4. Rao, J.M. & Reiley, D.H. (2012). “The Economics of Spam.” Journal of Economic Perspectives, 26(3)