Too Long; Didn't Read
Facebook’s Q3 Widely Viewed Content [Report] was meant to rebut critics who said its algorithms were boosting extremist and sensational content. But data collected by The Markup suggests sensationalist news or viral content with little original reporting performs just as well as—and often better than—many mainstream sources when it comes to how often it's seen by platform users. Facebook says it will continue to refine and improve these reports as we engage with academics, civil society groups, and researchers to identify which metrics need more.