Facebook has started its anti-fake news campaign in Romania as well, leading to a zero reach for many websites that spread false information, according to data from local publication Hotnews.ro.

This has backfired for local satire website TimesNewRoman.ro, whose managing partner Alex Dona wrote on Facebook that is was considered a ‘fake news spreading publication’ and its reach lowered considerably.

It is yet uncertain how Facebook actually decides what content is fake, especially in languages other than English, as the social media giant has not made any information public. Internationally, the need to filter through the news became more obvious during the US presidential campaign or UK’s Brexit.

In Romania, the website verificasursa.ro allows readers to filter through the local content, as it lists websites which should not be trusted. These sites either blatantly copy content from reputable media, or run made-up info just to generate traffic.

Social media is the main channel through which false information from such websites becomes viral.

editor@romania-insider.com