Jan 25, 2017 - Technology

Facebook updates controversial "Trending" feature

Eric Risberg / AP

Facebook says they're updating their trending featuring to improve user experience and help prevent hoaxes and fake news from appearing in the trending module.

Updates:

  • Trending topics will now feature a publisher headline below each topic name.
  • An improved system to determine what is trending.
  • Everyone in the same region will see the same topics.

Why it matters: Facebook faced backlash in 2016 for reportedly suppressing conservative news stories in their trending feature. In their statement Wednesday, the company says its curation model will still be algorithmic, but that people do monitor the trending feature.

Go deeper