Facebook to Stop News Headline Changes From Advertisers

Facebook confirmed the internal effort in the face of concerns over a BBC headline altered in an ad.

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 17 September 2019 12:46 IST

Facebook said Monday it is working to stop advertisers from changing headlines in links to news stories after concerns raised by a British political party's altering of one such link.

The leading social network confirmed the internal effort in the face of concerns over a BBC headline altered in an ad to evidently change the tone of an article about British government spending on education.

"We are working to put safeguards in place by the end of the year to ensure publishers have control over the way their headlines appear in advertisements," Facebook said in response to an AFP inquiry.

Advertisement

The new policy came over complaints that advertisers might be able to deceptively modify the content in news stories shared on the huge social network.

Advertisement

A recent Conservative Party Facebook ad "seems to have altered the headline of a BBC News article on an education spending announcement to make the government appear more generous than it is being," British fact-checking charity organisation Full Fact said in an online post.

The fact-check group said the altered headline was  "misleading" by making the funding "seem comparatively much larger than it really is."

Advertisement

Facebook and other Internet firms have been under pressure to prevent their online platforms from being used to for deception or social manipulation, particularly regarding political issues.

Ads that appear crafted to deceive are typically removed from Facebook, but remain for as long as seven years in the social network's ad library.

Advertisement

The move comes with Facebook acting on several fronts to curb efforts to manipulate content and opinion on political issues.

Stealth campaigns linked to Russia that used online social networks and other platforms were tailored to sway voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election that put Donald Trump in the White House.

The social network last month tightened rules for political ad spending in US elections, notably by requiring more information about who is paying for campaign messages.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Facebook
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. [Exclusive] Noise to Launch Flagship Master Series Over-Ear Headphones Soon
  2. Vivo Y31 Series With 6,500mAh Battery Launched in India: See Price
  3. Nothing Announces Offers on Phones, Wearables During Flipkart Sale
  4. Samsung Begins Rolling Out One UI 8 Update to the Galaxy S25 Series
  5. Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale: Discounts on Motorola Phones Announced
  6. iOS 26 Released Alongside iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe: Here's How to Download It
  7. Oppo F31 Series Launched With 7,000mAh Battery: Check Price, Features
  8. Best Mobiles Under Rs. 60,000 in India
  9. Xiaomi 17 Pro Max Tipped to Come With a Secondary Display
  1. iOS 26 Update Released Alongside iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe: Check Eligible Models, How to Download
  2. Scientists Propose Space Missions to Chase Down Interstellar Comets
  3. Iceland Plume Discovery Reveals Ancient Volcanic Funnels Across North Atlantic
  4. Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 Design Renders Leaked, Could Launch Soon
  5. Marvel's Wolverine Will Reportedly Launch in 2026; Insomniac's Venom Game in 'Active Development'
  6. US President Donald Trump Challenges Block on Removing US Fed’s Lisa Cook
  7. iPhone 17 Series Outpaces iPhone 16 in Demand While iPhone 17 Pro Max Tops Pre-Orders, Analyst Says
  8. iPhone 16 Remained Top Selling Smartphone For Second Consecutive Quarter Globally: Report
  9. Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Launched in India With 6.7-Inch AMOLED Screen, 50-Megapixel Camera: Price, Features
  10. iPhone 18 Series Tipped to Feature Smaller Dynamic Island, Might Launch Without Under-Display Face ID
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.