Facebook promised to tackle fake news. But the evidence shows it's not working

Following pressure from users, the social network introduced tools to stem the spread of false information. But the rollout has been rocky at best

When Facebook's new fact-checking system labeled a Newport Buzz article as possible "fake news", warning users against sharing it, something unexpected happened. Traffic to the story skyrocketed, according to Christian Winthrop, editor of the local Rhode Island website.

"A bunch of conservative groups grabbed this and said, 'Hey, they are trying to silence this blog - share, share share,'" said Winthrop, who published the story that falsely claimed hundreds of thousands of Irish people were brought to the US as slaves. "With Facebook trying to throttle it and say, 'Don't share it,' it actually had the opposite effect."