Facebook Focussed On Elections Around The World, Says Zuckerberg

Very Focussed On Elections Around The World: Facebook Chief Mark Zuckerberg

SUMMARY

Zuckerberg hinted of availing the platform of Facebook in more regional languages

Facebook has been repeatedly taking actions in removing fake accounts ahead of elections in countries such as France, Germany, says Zuckerberg

In April this year, Facebook set up an independent election research commission

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg was seen actively replying to users’ comment on his recent post — Preparing for Elections.

“In the coming months there are major elections in Brazil and the US, and then a series of important elections in India. All of the countries I just mentioned have different languages and our systems are designed to work across them,” Zuckerberg responds to one user’s comments.

Zuckerberg further hints of availing the platform in more regional languages. He said, “There are countries where we need more local language support in general — but that goes beyond just election issues.”

India has over 122 languages, of which 22 are recognised as the official languages of the country, as per the 2011 Census. Facebook is already available in India’s regional languages such as Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil, Bangla, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali, etc.

Screenshot: Facebook: Notes, Mark Zuckerberg, Preparing for Elections

“Will you focus on India elections, too?” another Facebook user posts in the same wall. Zuckerberg responds:

Screenshot: Facebook: Notes, Mark Zuckerberg, Preparing for Elections

On September 13, Zuckerberg published Preparing for Elections, a note explaining steps taken by Facebook in identifying and removing fake accounts ahead of elections in countries such as France, Germany, Alabama, Mexico, Brazil, and India.

Zuckerberg also writes about the efforts taken by the company on issues such as misinformation, advertisement transparency and verification, and coordinating with government and companies.

In April this year, Facebook set up an independent election research commission in collaboration with academics and foundations. According to Zuckerberg, the commission will share Facebook data with researchers so they can draw conclusions about Facebook’s role in elections, including effectiveness in preventing abuse.

“We’ve worked with industry experts to ensure this is done in a way that protects everyone’s privacy,” Zuckerberg wrote in the note.

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