Technology Giants Gearing up to Fight Fake News
March 17, 2017
Last year, there were several occasions when leading social media platforms and search providers were caught completely off guard and became unwitting partners in the spread of misinformation campaigns and unsubstantiated news reports.
We are now seeing these prominent technology platforms respond to widespread criticism and launch a number of preventive and remedial processes and policies to combat this trend without having to play the role of doorkeepers themselves; or as Mark Zuckerburg succinctly phrases it in this post, “We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties.”
Through a series of blog posts on newsroom.fb.com, Facebook has been sharing how it intends to facilitate this effort.
Facebook has stopped personalizing the topics listed under trending news to a user’s preferences and is instead highlighting news articles getting wide visibility and engagement across the board.
It is also making its advertising policies stricter to prevent discrimination and testing its machine learning technology to help it identify advertisers that violate these policies.
According to the news and information site searchengineland.com, Google is teaching its search algorithms to better spot offensive, factually incorrect results.
As a part of this program, Google has built a team of 10,000 contractors worldwide to flag potentially dubious links in the top results page and teach its ‘human coders’ who write search algorithms, as well as its machine learning programs.
On its official blog, Twitter has explained how it’s taking tangible steps to stop the creation of new abusive accounts, removing potentially sensitive contact from blocked or muted accounts from search results, and collapsing potentially abusive and low-quality replies.
In addition, in a first public initiative of this kind, Facebook and Google are partnering with journalists across France in the ‘Crosscheck’ project to help citizens make informed choices ahead of the 2017 French election.
Given the higher awareness across the globe about the irreparable harm fake and malicious stories, facts and targeting can cause, it’s to be hoped that this is a trend that is here to stay and will only gain momentum in the coming months.
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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