Technology Giants Gearing up to Fight Fake News
March 17, 2017
Last year, there were several occasions when leading social media platforms and search providers were caught completely off guard and became unwitting partners in the spread of misinformation campaigns and unsubstantiated news reports.
We are now seeing these prominent technology platforms respond to widespread criticism and launch a number of preventive and remedial processes and policies to combat this trend without having to play the role of doorkeepers themselves; or as Mark Zuckerburg succinctly phrases it in this post, “We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties.”
Through a series of blog posts on newsroom.fb.com, Facebook has been sharing how it intends to facilitate this effort.
Facebook has stopped personalizing the topics listed under trending news to a user’s preferences and is instead highlighting news articles getting wide visibility and engagement across the board.
It is also making its advertising policies stricter to prevent discrimination and testing its machine learning technology to help it identify advertisers that violate these policies.
According to the news and information site searchengineland.com, Google is teaching its search algorithms to better spot offensive, factually incorrect results.
As a part of this program, Google has built a team of 10,000 contractors worldwide to flag potentially dubious links in the top results page and teach its ‘human coders’ who write search algorithms, as well as its machine learning programs.
On its official blog, Twitter has explained how it’s taking tangible steps to stop the creation of new abusive accounts, removing potentially sensitive contact from blocked or muted accounts from search results, and collapsing potentially abusive and low-quality replies.
In addition, in a first public initiative of this kind, Facebook and Google are partnering with journalists across France in the ‘Crosscheck’ project to help citizens make informed choices ahead of the 2017 French election.
Given the higher awareness across the globe about the irreparable harm fake and malicious stories, facts and targeting can cause, it’s to be hoped that this is a trend that is here to stay and will only gain momentum in the coming months.
Partner Voices
Overview:
The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality.
In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
“We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.”
Amenities:
The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.
The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience
The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need.
Gold Key Members
The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events.
OCCC Events:
This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.
The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:
AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023
200,000 Attendees
$257 Million in Economic Impact
MEGACON 2023
160,000 Attendees
$205 Million in Economic Impact
Open Championship Series 2023
69,500 Attendees
$89 Million in Economic Impact
Sunshine Classic 2023
42,000 Attendees
$54 Million in Economic Impact
Premiere Orlando 2023
42,000 Attendees
$108 Million in Economic Impact
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