How does Facebook’s News Feed work?
New feature shows users why they see certain posts and videos
Facebook has started disclosing how its secretive News Feed algorithm operates by offering its subscribers a new “Why am I seeing this post?” button.
The option – which is being trialled today with a small group of Facebook users before launching worldwide on 2 May – reveals why certain posts, pages and groups appear on our homepage, the BBC reports.
The tool provides insights such as: “you’ve commented on posts with photos more than other media types” and “you’ve liked [friend’s name] posts more than posts from others”, the broadcaster adds.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The feature offers “a rare window into the opaque world of Facebook’s content ranking algorithms”, which have been described by researchers as a “black box”, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The social media site’s algorithms have long a source of debate and scrutiny among tech experts and government officials.
In February, MPs released a damning report that described Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his executives as “digital gangsters”. It accused the company of using its algorithms to spread “disinformation”, The Guardian reports.
It’s hoped that the introduction of the new “Why am I seeing this post?” feature will quell government concerns both in the UK and US.
What is a News Feed in Facebook?
It’s the term Facebook gives to its homepage. The information that fills a user’s News Feed is bespoke to the individual user and displays posts from friends, liked pages or social groups.
But it’s not just posts from known sources that appear on a person’s homepage. Facebook users will also see videos and adverts, as well as posts the social media giant thinks will be suited to their preferences.
How does Facebook’s News Feed work?
Facebook uses complex algorithms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to decide “what to put at the top of your feed and what to put lower down”, The Telegraph says.
The algorithms analyse “thousands of pieces of information about each user’s behaviour and interests”, generating a series of predictions such as the probability that the user will like or comment on the recommended post, the paper says.
This is why News Feed is so controversial. It prioritises content, such as sensationalist articles, that will provoke “strong emotional reaction or fierce discussion”, it adds.
To some extent, the new “Why am I seeing this post?” feature will help explain how the algorithm works as it shows users a number of factors as to why they’re seeing a specific post.
It also gives subscribers options to alter the way their homepage works, notes The Verge. Users can, for example, press “See First” if they approve of a post, or “Unfollow” if they don’t want to see articles of a certain nature.
But the finer details of News Feed’s algorithms remain a mystery for now. Perhaps they will be unravelled when the full version of the new disclosure features launches early next month.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Musk's reliance on China draws rising scrutiny'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Biba: the story of a 'legendary emporium'
The Week Recommends Brand's 60th anniversary is being marked with retrospective celebrating the 'iconic shop's cultural importance'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
How the Russia-Ukraine conflict has spread to Africa
The Explainer Ukraine is attempting to strengthen its alliances on the continent to counter Russia's growing presence
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
How social media is limiting political content
The Explainer Critics say Meta's 'extraordinary move' to have less politics in users' feeds could be 'actively muzzling civic action'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The complex environmental toll of artificial intelligence
The explainer AI is very much mostly not green technology
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Artificial history
Opinion Google's AI tailored the past to fit modern mores, but only succeeded in erasing real historical crimes
By Theunis Bates Published
-
AI is recreating the voices of mass shooting victims
The Explainer The parents of these victims are using the AI to try and lobby Congress for gun control
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The murky world of AI training
Under the Radar Despite public interest in artificial intelligence models themselves, few consider how those models are trained
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Is Google's new AI bot 'woke'?
Talking Points Gemini produced images of female popes and Black Vikings. Now the company has stepped back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How AI can — and cannot — be used to help air traffic controllers
The Explainer Some in the industry say AI will never replace humans, but can still be a useful assistant
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How AI is helping companies find valuable mineral deposits
Under the Radar New technologies can trace copper, lithium and nickel with 'less environmental degradation' and cut West's reliance on China
By The Week UK Published