Last week, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media giant would no longer algorithmically recommend political groups to users. The move came in the wake of controversy surrounding the U.S. election, violence at the Capitol, and a near-constant stream of misinformation that has swamped the platform in recent years. And while this move to “turn down the temperature” of online discourse will no doubt help, many experts have expressed concern that the “toxic legacy” of Facebook Groups will live on.

“This is like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound,” anti-hate speech advocate Jessica J González told The Guardian. “It doesn’t do enough to combat the long history of abuse that’s been allowed to fester on Facebook.”

“Facebook has let white supremacists organize and conspiracy theorists organize all over its platform and has failed to contain that problem,” she continued. “In fact, it has significantly contributed to the spread of that problem through its recommendation system.”

When Facebook first created its recommendation algorithm, it did so with the best of intentions. However, once it became clear that this technology not only connected everyday users but bad actors, too, the company probably should’ve acted faster to tamp down this problem.

Recommended Resources

The Choice of Tech Experts Worldwide. Try 90 days free of Bitdefender and experience the highest level of digital safety.

Surf the web truly incognito. Try Bitdefender Premium VPN, the ultra-fast VPN that keeps your online identity and activities safe from hackers, ISPs and snoops.

System Mechanic 14 – Make your computer run like new. Winner of 200+ Editor’s Choice awards!