Facebook's Controversial Content Standards Are Better Than the Alternative
*By Alisha Haridasani *
Facebook’s decision this week to allow conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to remain on its platformーdespite his on-the-record threat to shoot special counsel Robert Muellerーmay seem controversial, but the alternative could be worse.
Axios reporter Sara Fischer certainly thinks so, noting that censorship would have dire consequences for the company.
“If you look at it from the other way ... that could be a PR disaster,” she said.
On Monday, Jones live-streamed his controversial InfoWars show, on which he's been known to tout conspiracy theories, on his verified Facebook page, falsely accusing Mueller of running a child sex ring and then claiming he may shoot the federal investigator.
“You’re going to get it, or I’m going to die trying,” Jones said in his post.
The content was flagged by multiple users, but Facebook told [BuzzFeed News](https://www.recode.net/2018/7/18/17588116/mark-zuckerberg-clarifies-holocaust-denial-offensive) on Tuesday that Jones didn’t violate any content rules.
Jones’s post came days after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said fake news will be allowed on the social media platformーuntil it incites violence.
“It’s hard to impugn intent,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with Recode. He cited the example of Sandy Hook deniersーJones is a prominent memberーand Holocaust deniers who, he said, don’t “intentionally” get the facts wrong.
Instead of removing content altogether, Facebook has been suppressing posts that have raised concerns, said Fischer.
“They’ve removed the financial incentives to post some of this stuff. If they find that you’re posting a ton of conspiracy theories or fake news, they’re going to remove your advertising rights, they’re going to down-rank your content so you don’t get the traffic.”
The company has also expanded its team of monitors to keep an eye on content, said Fischer.
Facebook’s narrow definition of bad content and the latest controversy reflect a continuing struggle to uphold principles of free speech and openness, a point that Zuckerberg repeated several times during his testimony on Capitol Hill in April.
A Facebook executive [declined to comment](https://cheddar.com/videos/facebook-declines-to-comment-on-alex-jones-video-threatening-robert-mueller) on the Jones controversy during her interview with Cheddar on Wednesday.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/inside-facebooks-trouble-to-wrangle-fake-news).
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
