Facebook has started testing a new pop-up feature to make sure users have read an article before they share it.
“Starting today, we’re testing a way to promote more informed sharing of news articles. If you go to share a news article link you haven’t opened, we’ll show a prompt encouraging you to open it and read it, before sharing it with others,” Facebook outlined in a tweet.
The new pop-up will appear if users are about to share an article that they haven’t clicked on. The pop-up will ask users if they want to open the article or continue sharing it.
Starting today, we’re testing a way to promote more informed sharing of news articles. If you go to share a news article link you haven’t opened, we’ll show a prompt encouraging you to open it and read it, before sharing it with others. pic.twitter.com/brlMnlg6Qg
— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) May 10, 2021
“Sharing articles without reading them may mean missing key facts,” the pop-up message reads, according to a screenshot posted by the social media giant.
Facebook notes that the pop-up is being tested with around six percent of Android users worldwide starting today.
It’s worth noting that this pop-up is similar to one on Twitter that appears when users are about to retweet an article.
Facebook has struggled with curbing the spread of misinformation in the past and this latest feature is an attempt to remedy the issue. It’s unknown when Facebook plans to roll out the feature more widely.
Source: Facebook
