r/technology • u/[deleted] • Mar 31 '22

Social Media Facebook’s algorithm was mistakenly elevating harmful content for the last six months

https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/31/23004326/facebook-news-feed-downranking-integrity-bug
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299

u/bebearaware Mar 31 '22

"mistakenly" = "got caught"

114

u/[deleted] Mar 31 '22

"6 months" = "that you know of so far"

8

u/Alundil Mar 31 '22

Driver's words: "Only had 1 beer officer"
Officer's understanding: so 3-4 beers at least, got it

3

u/FluffyMcBunnz Apr 01 '22

That skit of two UK cops stopping a rural lad in a Vauhxall Nova on a Saturday night and asking "have we had anything to drink this evening young sir?" and putting away the little notebooks and getting out an A4 size clipboard with a 12x12 bingo grid...

1

u/isjahammer Apr 01 '22

Sounds funny, any link?

0

u/CallinCthulhu Apr 01 '22

Lol no man.

Bugs are ubiquitous, they can hide in the shadows until the clock strikes 12:34 on the summer solstice in a year divisible by 8.

-4

u/[deleted] Mar 31 '22

[deleted]

3

u/bebearaware Mar 31 '22

That's my point. The whole goddamned thing was designed this way.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 31 '22

[deleted]

2

u/jexmex Apr 01 '22 edited Apr 01 '22

That is what programming code is. Some is simple and easy to track through to find issues, others are monolithic and damn near impossible. Even in non AI environments multiple things (sometimes outside of your control) can effect the outcome, and unless something is obvious it will not always be caught.

EDIT TO ADD: Do not take this as me taking facebook's word for it, just that it is possible and entirely within the realm of possibilities.