Facebook works with independent fact checkers to stop viral hoaxes from spreading.

Judge as of 2019-10-17. True: evidence shows that in October 2019 Facebook had active partnerships with independent third-party fact-checkers (for example IFCN-certified organisations) whose ratings were used to reduce the spread of false or viral hoax content (demotion, labels, warnings). Mostly true: the partnerships existed and were used to limit hoaxes, but with a minor gap in the details (for example mainly reducing reach rather than fully stopping spread, or limited to some regions or content types). Mixed: the partnerships existed but evidence shows they were applied to viral hoaxes only in a minor or inconsistent way. Mostly false: fact-checker partnerships existed in name but were not actually used to curb the spread of hoaxes at that time. False: Facebook had no independent fact-checking partnerships in October 2019.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Protecting the EU Elections From Misinformation and Expanding Our Fact-Checking Program to New Languages Facebook (about.fb.com newsroom) · 25 April 2019 Own record

   “One of the ways we reduce the spread of false news is by partnering with independent, third-party fact-checkers around the world.”

2. E2 Company That Profits Off Political Misinformation Says It's Going to Do More to Stop It Gizmodo · 21 October 2019

   “At least two of Facebook’s fact-checking partners, Politifact and Factcheck.org, have reviewed Trump’s assertion, featured in his new ad. Both fact-checkers clearly concluded that Trump’s claim about Biden was false.”

3. E3 Facebook March 2019 monthly update on implementation of the Code of Practice on Disinformation Facebook (report hosted by astrid-online.it) Own record

   “Globally, all of our partners are certified by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), which recently launched an E.U.-wide fact-checking effort ahead of the”

4. E4 Increasing Our Efforts to Fight False News Facebook (about.fb.com newsroom) · 21 June 2018 Own record

   “These certified, independent fact-checkers rate the accuracy of stories on Facebook, helping us reduce the distribution of stories rated as false by an average of 80%.”

E2, an independent Gizmodo report from 21 October 2019, names Politifact and Factcheck.org as Facebook's fact-checking partners at that time, which confirms the partnerships were active. Facebook's own newsroom posts and report (E1, E3, E4) say the partners were independent and IFCN-certified, and that their ratings were used to reduce the spread of false stories. E4 gives an average reduction in distribution of 80%. The evidence shows the ratings reduced the reach of hoaxes rather than fully stopping them. The criteria name this as a minor gap, so the verdict is mostly true.