Facebook to add nation of origin to some election-related posts

Facebook announced Wednesday that it will begin indicating the country of origin for some election-related posts in an attempt to curb political misinformation.

The feature will be piloted in the United States, starting with Facebook pages and Instagram accounts that are based outside of the country but that primarily reach American audiences.

For example, an account on either platform targeting American voters but located in Brazil will include a “Based in Brazil” label.

Users will be able to swipe up for more information about the accounts.

“These changes are part of our broader efforts to protect elections and increase transparency on Facebook and Instagram so people can make more informed decisions about the posts they read, trust and share,” product managers Anita Joseph and Georgina Sheedy-Collier wrote in a blog post.

Facebook has taken several steps to limit foreign election influence on its platform since 2016.

It has taken down dozens of foreign networks operating on the platform, most recently a group of pages based in Iran targeting the U.S.

The move comes as experts expect political misinformation to surge with the 2020 election cycle in full swing.