Facebook claims it removed over 1.5 billion fake accounts; plans to crack down on clickbait content

Social media giant, Facebook has said that it has removed 800 million and 754 million fake accounts in Q2 and Q3  respectively. Mark Zuckerberg revealed the data in a note titled 'A Blueprint for Content Governance and Enforcement.'

The note came less than a day after the New York Times highlighted the failure on part of Facebook to identify Russian interference in the US elections and deal with fake news. The New York Times also alleged that Facebook knew about the Russian interference and chose to merely "manage and deflect" it. Facebook, however, has denied most of the claims made in the report.

As part of its biannual transparency report, Facebook will also be publishing its Community Standards Enforcement Report, wherein the company will showcase the work it has put in to get rid of the content that violates Facebook guidelines, including "adult nudity and sexual activity, fake accounts, hate speech, spam, terrorist propaganda, and violence and graphic content".

The thought of Facebook removing 1.5 billion fake accounts is shocking when you consider the fact that it has 2.5 billion active monthly users.

In his post, Zuckerberg wrote that the company plans to reduce the reach of click-bait content, which tends to go viral on the network. "..the most effective way to stop the spread of misinformation is to remove the fake accounts that generate it. The next most effective strategy is reducing its distribution and virality." Zuckerberg also said that it will look at harassment and bullying instances more closely.