Dang, clicking through all of the ads wore my finger out. I don't do facebook or any of the big sites, but I've seen enough "news bait" on various forum sites to know that it is going on everywhere. The entire world wide web seems like its the National Enquirer of my youth.

Nice to get responses but, doesn't seem like there's much of a response to the actual content of the article...?

The whole idea of being able to use dark news for political influence without everyone in general being aware was interesting, although neither unknown or surprising. I don't think that it is undermining democracy in any way . Politicians of all stripes have been willing to do anything at all extremes of the moral spectrum to procure votes and in the end it is up to the voter to properly educate themselves. News sources have been untrustworthy since long before Facebook.

    Facebook is a media company and should be regulated like a media company. They should be held to standards and practices just like other media companies. They can't play dumb anymore. They're platform was used for propaganda (fake news) purposes to influence our election, no question about it.

    Too many Americans are gullible and believe the fake news crap they read on the internet. Look at the moron who shot up a pizza shop thinking it was where Hillary and company were molesting kids because he read it on the internet. 😕

    Never under estimate the ignorance / gullibility of the American voter. We have living proof of that. Facts matter and you can't have your own set of facts. There's no such thing as 'alternate facts'.

    Open platforms like Facebook are a propagandist (fake news) dream.

    Should CNN and MSNBC be held to standards as well?

      johnnydoom Thanks! In general, I agree. However, I will venture a guess that there are a good number of voters - the ones you're saying are supposed to educate themselves that have not - not in the least!

        Atlantic's article is best one I've read regarding how the election was pushed to hard right by FB dark adds. Propaganda has always been powerful and despotic powers good at using it to advantage.
        Democracy depends on informed intelligent electorate and this new propaganda tool has proven itself capable of controlling our election, to me at least.
        Regulation of it another huge issue re freedom of speech.
        I believe almost nothing I read on internet but wondering if even the "reliable " old standby sources aren't compromised now too. Who knows?
        I think I presently agree with Atlantic our basic core is shaken by this and that it is "a real and present danger"
        God save America

          Provisional

          Our media has long been hijacked by a certain political faction. If you can’t see it then you’ve already been indoctrinated.......

              JeffTilley Do I disagree with "a certain political faction"? How could I disagree with such a nebulous comment? Perhaps you'd care to specify. Which faction hijacked "Facebook?" And, which one's being actively investigated in that regard? Please, do specify.

              And, regarding your reply directed toward Provisional, we've all been indoctrinated... (a euphemism for such being socialization and then our own individual levels of assimilation and/or accommodation).

                  professor

                  You tell me which faction is being investigated over the Facebook flap? Everyone knows you just posted the article as a hit piece against Trump and the pubs. Do you deny the msm has long been in bed with the dems? You libs wanna whine about Russia helping Trump. Why aren’t you whining about the msm helping every dem since paper and ink were invented?

                      JeffTilley Clearly, there's point in addressing this any further with you. You're not addressing the original post and even based upon the initial few replies your assertion it's clear that not "everybody knows" what you think. You're not denying the article and the article was simply about how easy it's become to manipulate. Why you feel a need to change the subject, only you would know. "Whine about Russia helping Trump"? Wow, those are your words. I hope you're not okay with that but, it seems you are? You believe it's okay for a foreign adversary to be involved in manipulation?
                      You seem defensive.

                      I'll await responses of substance. That's what I brought to the table, an article of substance - not laden with the hyperbole you've already engendered. Oh well, it lasted a short bit.

                          Is advertising propaganda? Do ads and branding manipulate the way we purchase goods? Should it be legal to claim a product is the best without scientific proof to back it up? Should unsubstantiated advertising be illegal? There is no such thing as a troll. Facebook, like this forum is put out there for public consumption. That opens any post to criticism, counter point and debate. We can all read what we want, believe what we want and debate what we want.

                          "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

                          professor

                          Perhaps I was somewhat defensive in my remarks. I apologize. Onto the subject of Facebooks influence on our elections. I do believe it’s minimal at best. I don’t believe most folks are that naive. If they are then this nation is in deep doodoo. I don’t believe Facebook has any more of an influence on our election process than our own msm does. I agree fake news is a problem, but not only on Facebook. Our own msm is guilty, too. Everybody has become sensationalized like the National Enquirer, in search of every dollar they can squeeze out of us. There’s a reason we the people trust the msm less than politicians, and that’s sad.

                              JeffTilley "Perhaps I was somewhat defensive in my remarks. I apologize. Onto the subject of Facebooks influence on our elections. I do believe it’s minimal at best."
                              Do you believe the margin of victory in the 2016 election was a minimal margin?

                              "I don’t believe most folks are that naive. If they are then this nation is in deep doodoo. I don’t believe Facebook has any more of an influence on our election process than our own msm does."

                              I do think a great number of people ARE that naive. What else would explain a large number of individuals voting against their own self interest? Furthermore, if the statistics are accurate then, the average IQ is 100 and that means have of the population is at or below "average". (Granted, I'm quite aware of a number of individuals who successfully compensate for a lower "quotient" via effort and hard work while it's likely a similar faction have a higher "quotient" and under-achieve.)

                              "I agree fake news is a problem, but not only on Facebook. Our own msm is guilty, too. Everybody has become sensationalized like the National Enquirer, in search of every dollar they can squeeze out of us. There’s a reason we the people trust the msm less than politicians, and that’s sad."

                              You use a lot of sweeping generalizations. Consequently, it is difficult for me to respond to them with any sort of accuracy. I see things on continuum's - not all or nothing.

                              I posted an article from The Atlantic. Is that main stream media? Do you believe it to be a reputable source? Is PBS/NPR a reputable source? Do you believe Fox News is a reputable source? I'd need you to further clarify what you call MSM. Are some more corrupt than others - and if so, which ones? I do realize that you've an already formulated opinion as you showed your hand quite clearly in an earlier reply. Seems you believe that "liberals" jumped on and cornered the 'market' sooner then whatever your adjective of choice is for an opposed "party" or affiliation. (See, I have to tip-toe around this specific topic a bit because a couple of decades ago I'd have described myself as a conservative-liberal. So, do you believe there is more propaganda coming out of liberal-controlled MSM? Do you believe there is, in general just a greater amount of liberally biased MSM? If so, why might that be? In a free market are they not also determined by supply and demand: that there's more Liberally-biased MSM than conservative because there's a greater degree of liberal thinking? Wow, then the results of both the most recent presidential election and the mid-terms prior to that would have been falling on a lot of deaf ears AND clearly those propaganda machines failed. Hmmm... quite a quandary for your theory to clarify. But, I'm willing to listen...

                              JeffTilley "Everybody has become sensationalized like the National Enquirer, in search of every dollar they can squeeze out of us. There’s a reason we the people trust the msm less than politicians, and that’s sad."

                              See Jeff, there's that generalization, again "everybody". I don't believe you can substantiate such a claim - that they're all "like" The National Enquirer".

                              Please, speak for yourself. That "we the people trust mainstream media less than politicians"? Hardly!!! I will freely admit that there are many democratic candidates and office holders whom I did not trust - at all! But, besides broad brush generalizations it seems you're prone to hyperbole as well.

                              Now I am curious.

                                    Can't agree that any significant block voted against its own self interest. The working class patiently waited through 8 years of stagnant wages and declining workplace opportunities in the one hope that their healthcare costs would at least be reduced. Instead, their rates continued to increase significantly, and deductibles went through the roof to the point where many have insurance that they can't afford to use because they can't even make the deductible with cash on hand.