Facebook will start to reduce the amount of political content a small segment of its users see, the social media platform announced on Wednesday.
The site was under fire in recent weeks after far-right groups in the US used the platform to mobilise and plan attacks on the US Capitol on January 6.
The company said it was looking for ways to improve its news feed function to better allow for users to receive the posts they wanted.
"Over the next few months, we'll work to better understand peoples' varied preferences for political content and test a number of approaches based on those insights," said Aastha Gupta, the company's product management director.
Users in Canada, Brazil and Indonesia will be the testing sites for Facebook's trials, with the US to follow in the coming weeks.
"During these initial tests we'll explore a variety of ways to rank political content in people's feeds using different signals, and then decide on the approaches we'll use going forward," Ms Gupta said.
In the aftermath of the US Capitol riot Facebook started to clamp down on some groups. It banned the hashtag #stopthesteal, which had been used by rioters. It also blocked several controversial accounts, including that of former president Donald Trump.
But a recent study by Tech Transparency Project, a Washington-based organisation that holds large technology companies to scrutiny, found the social media site was still allowing far-right groups to gather under the banner "Patriot Party".
Facebook's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg hinted at the end of January that changes would be coming to reduce political content. But it was unclear what those changes would look like.
In the US, political posts make up about 6 per cent of what people see on their timeline, the company said.
The company already has features in place to help users manage what they see, including a snooze function to temporarily hide posts from people or groups.
"But we're always trying to make News Feed better, and this means finding a new balance of the content people want to see," Ms Gupta said.
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
SPECS
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Sanchez's club career
2005-2006: Cobreloa
2006-2011 Udinese
2006-2007 Colo-Colo (on loan)
2007-2008 River Plate (on loan)
2011-2014 Barcelona
2014–Present Arsenal
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
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Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
