Facebook to test new warning prompt against extremism

According to a CNN report, Facebook is testing messages that will link users to anti-extremism support and resources if the company believes the user knows someone who might be in the path of extremism or if the user has been exposed to extremist content.

In a statement to The Verge, a Facebook spokesperson said the test is part of the "larger work to assess ways to provide resources and support to people on Facebook who may have engaged with or were exposed to extremist content, or may know someone who is at risk."

Facebook says it will continue to remove extremist content that violates its rules. However, the company has had trouble tracking and removing similar content, even from groups actively trying to launch the platform. Facebook has long been the subject of scrutiny from the public and lawmakers. Many say its algorithms divide people and push them toward extreme ideologies, something the company has acknowledged.

Facebook says the tests go hand in hand with its Redirection Initiative, which "helps combat violent extremism and dangerous organizations" in several countries. According to its website, the program (as the name implies) redirects users to educational resources rather than hateful content. It also says the test is part of its response to the Christchurch Call to Action campaign, and the test identifies both users who may have viewed extremist content and those that Facebook has taken enforcement action against in the past.

The test is linked to resources intended to help someone intervene if they are concerned that a loved one is joining a violent extremist group or movement. For example, on a Facebook support page titled "What can I do to prevent radicalization?" In addition, Facebook has links to Life After Hate's ExitUSA program, which Facebook claims helps people find "a way out of hate and violence." The support page also offers tips on interacting with someone trying to leave a hate group.

Facebook, like other platforms, has struggled with extremism for a long time, and while it's good that it's trying to combat it, it seems like some of its efforts should have been in place a long time ago. This is the case for many forms of misbehaviour online, as many platforms are still struggling to control users who harass women or display other toxic behaviours in general.