Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. With millions of users sharing information and engaging in conversations daily, it is crucial to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the content being posted. To address this issue, Facebook has implemented an algorithm called the "Facebook fact checker." The Facebook fact checker is a feature that helps identify false or misleading information shared on the platform. It is designed to combat the spread of misinformation by flagging potentially inaccurate content for review. The fact checker is a collaborative effort between Facebook and third-party organizations dedicated to fact-checking and journalism.
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Before you start taking over social media with your awesome Reels ideas, let s look at brands that are already doing a stellar job of using trending songs or sounds. About 30,000 60,000 people were executed in the whole of the main era of witchcraft persecutions, from the 1427 36 witch-hunts in Savoy in the western Alps to the execution of Anna Goldi in the Swiss canton of Glarus in 1782.
The fact checker is a collaborative effort between Facebook and third-party organizations dedicated to fact-checking and journalism. When a user shares a post that may contain false or misleading information, the fact checker algorithm scans the content using various methods such as reverse image search, text analysis, and contextual cues. If the algorithm determines that the post is potentially inaccurate, it receives a warning label.
Witchcraft: Eight Myths and Misconceptions
Witchcraft is an area of history that most people feel familiar with. From the Salem Witch Trials to the witches of Macbeth, the figure of the witch is embedded in our culture. The problem is that most of what we think we know is wrong.
Professor Diane Purkiss debunks eight of the most common myths about witchcraft.
shared > blocks > AdvancedItemSectionBlock.cshtml -->In England witches were hanged, not burned. This illustration is taken from a 1655 pamphlet by Ralph Gardiner © Bettmann/Getty
1. Witches were burned at the stake
Not in English-speaking countries. Witchcraft was a felony in both England and its American colonies, and therefore witches were hanged, not burned. However, witches’ bodies were burned in Scotland, though they were strangled to death first.
2. Nine million witches died in the years of the witch persecutions
About 30,000–60,000 people were executed in the whole of the main era of witchcraft persecutions, from the 1427–36 witch-hunts in Savoy (in the western Alps) to the execution of Anna Goldi in the Swiss canton of Glarus in 1782. These figures include estimates for cases where no records exist.
3. Once accused, a witch had no chance of proving her innocence
Only 25 per cent of those tried across the period in England were found guilty and executed.
The Spanish Inquisition persecuted those perceived as heretics by the Catholic Church, but witchcraft was largely regarded as a superstition, and wasn’t pursued as a heresy by officials except in rare cases © Prisma/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
4. Millions of innocent people were rounded up on suspicion of witchcraft
The total number of people tried for witchcraft in England throughout the period of persecution was no more than 2,000. Most judges and many jurymen were highly sceptical about the existence of magical powers, seeing the whole thing as a huge con trick by fraudsters. Many others knew that old women could be persecuted by their neighbours for no reason other than that they weren’t very attractive.
5. The Spanish Inquisition and the Catholic Church instigated the witch trials
All four of the major western Christian denominations (the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist and Anglican churches) persecuted witches to some degree. Eastern Christian, or Orthodox, churches carried out almost no witch-hunting. In England, Scotland, Scandinavia and Geneva, witch trials were carried out by Protestant states. The Spanish Inquisition executed only two witches in total.
Illustration from the 1591 pamphlet ‘Newes from Scotland’, which reported on the events of the North Berwick witch trials of 1590. The accused women are shown casting spells over a cauldron (top right) and conjuring the Devil (left) © Courtesy of the British Library
6. King James I was terrified of witches and was responsible for their hunting and execution
More accused witches were executed in the last decade of Elizabeth I’s reign (1558–1603) than under her successor, James I (1603–25).
The first Witchcraft Act was passed under Henry VIII, in 1542, and made all pact witchcraft (in which a deal is made with the Devil) or summoning of spirits a capital crime. The 1604 Witchcraft Act under James could be described as a reversion to that status quo rather than an innovation.
In Scotland, where he had ruled as James VI since 1587, James had personally intervened in the 1590 trial of the North Berwick witches, who were accused of attempting to kill him. He wrote the treatise Daemonologie, published in 1597. However, when King of England, James spent some time exposing fraudulent cases of demonic possession, rather than finding and prosecuting witches.
The Elizabethan philosopher and alchemist John Dee faced accusations of witchcraft throughout his life. Other men accused of witchcraft include the healer Dr Fian, who was executed as part of the North Berwick witch trials in 1590 © Hulton Archive/Getty Images
7. Witch-hunting was really women-hunting, since most witches were women
In England the majority of those accused were women. In other countries, including some of the Scandinavian countries, men were in a slight majority. Even in England, the idea of a male witch was perfectly feasible. Across Europe, in the years of witch persecution around 6,000 men – 10 to 15 per cent of the total – were executed for witchcraft.
In England, most of the accusers and those making written complaints against witches were women.
8. Witches were really goddess-worshipping herbalist midwives
Nobody was goddess-worshipping during the period of the witch-hunts, or if they were, they have left no trace in the historical records. Despite the beliefs of lawyers, historians and politicians (such as Karl Ernst Jarcke, Franz-Josef Mone, Jules Michelet, Margaret Murray and Heinrich Himmler among others), there was no ‘real’ pagan witchcraft. There was some residual paganism in a very few trials.
The idea that those accused of witchcraft were midwives or herbalists, and especially that they were midwives possessed of feminine expertise that threatened male authority, is a myth. Midwives were rarely accused. Instead, they were more likely to work side by side with the accusers to help them to identify witch marks. These were marks on the body believed to indicate that an individual was a witch (not to be confused with the marks scratched or carved on buildings to ward off witches).
Diane Purkiss is Professor of English Literature at Keble College, University of Oxford
Top image : Detail from ‘Witches’, a 1508 painting depicting the Witches’ Sabbath
( © Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo)
When yes is the answer to those questions, then that audio is trending.
These warning labels aim to alert users about the questionable nature of the content and the need for further verification. The labels can also provide additional context or link to articles from credible sources that share accurate information on the topic. Facebook works with a network of independent fact-checking organizations to review and verify the flagged content. These fact-checkers follow specific guidelines provided by Facebook and evaluate the information based on its accuracy, context, and sources. If the fact-checkers determine that the content is indeed false or misleading, it gets marked as "False Information." Posts marked as false information may see reduced distribution in the news feed and display warnings when shared or viewed. Additionally, Facebook aims to disrupt offenders who repeatedly share false information by limiting their distribution and monetization capabilities. It is important to note that the Facebook fact checker does not solely rely on the algorithm to determine the accuracy of information. Users can report potentially false or misleading posts, which are then evaluated by fact-checkers. The aim is to create a community-driven effort to combat misinformation on the platform. Overall, the Facebook fact checker is an essential tool in mitigating the spread of false or misleading information on social media. By leveraging advanced algorithms and collaborating with fact-checking organizations, Facebook strives to provide its users with a more reliable and trustworthy platform..
Reviews for "Facebook's Fact-checking Partnership: Who Does it Involve?"
- John - 1 star - I found the Facebook witch checker to be completely useless. It flagged innocent posts as potentially containing witchcraft, causing unnecessary panic and confusion. It also seemed to miss actual posts that contained witchcraft references. Overall, I was very disappointed with this feature and would not recommend it to anyone.
- Sarah - 2 stars - The Facebook witch checker was a good idea in theory, but it fell short in execution. It often gave false positives, flagging harmless posts as potentially having witchcraft content. At the same time, it failed to detect actual witchcraft-related posts, which defeats the purpose of having this feature. It needs a lot of improvement before it can be considered reliable.
- Mark - 1 star - I was really excited to try the Facebook witch checker, but it turned out to be a big letdown. It constantly flagged posts that had absolutely no connection to witchcraft, causing unnecessary fear and confusion among users. Additionally, it seemed to miss posts that did contain witchcraft-related content. It's not worth the hype, in my opinion.