Facebook Asks: Are Your Friends Becoming Extremists?

Facebook Inc is starting to warn some users they might have seen “extremist content” on the social media site, the company said on Thursday.

Screenshots shared on Twitter showed a notice asking “Are you concerned that someone you know is becoming an extremist?” and another that alerted users “you may have been exposed to harmful extremist content recently.” Both included links to “get support.”

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“This test is part of our 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,” said a Facebook spokesperson in an emailed statement. “We are partnering with NGOs and academic experts in this space and hope to have more to share in the future.”

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Facebook said in the test it was identifying both users who may have been exposed to rule-breaking extremist content and users who had previously been the subject of Facebook’s enforcement.

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