Yesterday [Thursday, May 12], The Guardian released leaked documents that seemed to show guidelines for Facebook editors on how to pick trending stories. The catch is that the trending posts are supposed to be determined by an algorithm so that the stories are not biased, and truly reflect what is trending on the internet.
Mark Zuckerberg took to his personal account to release a statement about the leaked documents. He spoke about his reaction to the leak:
“This week, there was a report suggesting that Facebook contractors working on Trending Topics suppressed stories with conservative viewpoints. We take this report very seriously and are conducting a full investigation to ensure our teams upheld the integrity of this product.
We have found no evidence that this report is true. If we find anything against our principles, you have my commitment that we will take additional steps to address it.”
Until the results of that investigation are released, Facebook will be under scrutiny from media sources trying to determine whether or not the site does actively boost more “liberal” stories over “conservative” stories.
You can read Zuckerberg’s full post here.
