Assessing the Prevalence of Misinformation on Facebook

Requirements Clarification & Assessment

1. Definition of Misinformation:

   • Clearly define what constitutes misinformation. Consider aspects such as factual inaccuracies, misleading information, and intent to deceive.
   • Differentiate between misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.

2. Scope of Analysis:

   • Determine whether the focus is on specific types of content (e.g., political news, health information) or a broader spectrum.
   • Decide if the analysis will cover all geographies or be limited to specific regions.

3. Data Sources:

   • Identify available data sources within Facebook, such as user interactions, flagged content, and engagement metrics.
   • Consider external data sources, including third-party fact-checking organizations and research studies.

4. Impact Metrics:

   • Define what metrics will be used to measure the impact on user behavior. Examples include engagement rates, sentiment analysis, and changes in user trust.

5. Ethical Considerations:

   • Address user privacy concerns and ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations.
   • Consider the ethical implications of potentially misclassifying content as misinformation.