Facebook deleting fake 'likes', independent data suggests

[Evil Eye]

Facebook has begun deleting fake page likes, independent data suggests.



According to Pagedata, many of the site's most liked pages suffered large drops in numbers on Wednesday.



The move follows the social network's admission that 8.7% of its users are not real, many having been set up by spammers who use them to artificially make pages appear more popular.



The issue poses a problem for Facebook as it seeks to expand its targeted advertising service.



Facebook's shares have slumped from their initial public offering of $38 (£23) in May to $20.62 on Thursday.



In a blog post written in August, Facebook said: A 'like' that doesn't come from someone truly interested in connecting with a page benefits no-one.



Technology news site The Verge, citing Pagedata's statistics, noted that some of the most popular pages on Facebook had suddenly shed significant numbers of users.



The page for Texas HoldEm Poker, one of the site's most popular, shed 96,317 likes on Wednesday - compared with net gains of about 20,000 each day for the previous month.



Other prominent pages also saw a drop in numbers, including those of pop singers Rihanna (-28,275), Eminem (-15,420) and Lady Gaga (-34,326).



Facebook would not confirm to the BBC that the purge was happening, but could not provide an alternative explanation for the drop in numbers.

Shedding fans



Earlier this year, an investigation by BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones highlighted some shortcomings in Facebook's like system.



His fake company, Virtual Bagel, which used Facebook's targeted advertising programme, attracted more than 1,600 likes - despite having neither products nor interesting content.



Closer inspection revealed these had come from accounts in countries such as India, Egypt, Indonesia and the Philippines.



Marketing experts argued that had Virtual Bagel been a real company, using Facebook advertising to gain these likes would have been a waste of money.



At the time, Facebook told the BBC that there was no significant problem.



But later, a blog post announced an impending crack-down on illegitimate activity. Facebook reassured users that impact would be minimal.



On average, less than 1% of 'likes' on any given page will be removed, providing they and their affiliates have been abiding by our terms, the company said.



These newly improved automated efforts will remove those 'likes' gained by malware, compromised accounts, deceived users, or purchased bulk 'likes'.



While we have always had dedicated protections against each of these threats on Facebook, these improved systems have been specifically configured to identify and take action against suspicious 'likes'.



The aim of the tweaks was to provide more accurate measurement of fan count and demographics to brands that use the service to advertise their products or services.



Promoting online engagement with brands is a key component of Facebook's business model, in which it uses key information - such as age, gender and location - to target certain advertisements at specific recipients.



However, this system is increasingly coming under threat from a black market of fake likes, sold in bulk in order to falsely boost a brand's figures.



A simple search brings up a host of websites offering large numbers of Facebook fans or likes - as well as followers on Twitter and views on YouTube.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19741484





Everyone stop 'liking' things, they don't like it!

 

[DrLeftover]

I think I have clicked on the like button maybe a dozen times in five years, and at least two of those involved grandchildren.

 

[Evil Eye]

Facebook does not believe in free speech.

Of course they don't

They're a private company and since you are using a service they provide, they have every right to moderate it. Off Topix doesn't believe in free speech either, if we did our rules would be quite a bit shorter.

 

[Sinon]

Facebook is becoming more and more like the scripted news media. Many of the pages I subscribe to there are having problems with page content being removed because it doesn't agree with FB's administrators. Not surprisingly, most of these issues are happening on the anti-Obama pages I visit.

If you say too much that is against the asshole in the White House, your stuff gets deleted and people get banned. It's disgusting. Facebook does not believe in free speech.

I'm waiting for someone to come along and say something to me or delete some of my stuff. Every single thing on my page there is anti-BO. EVERYTHING.

Constitutional rights don't apply to the internet, as it is a global entity. Laws, however, do.



Also, I doubt the anti-Obama pages are being moderated because Facebook doesn't like it. I've seen plenty of majorly offensive things on Facebook, far worse than anyone could possibly say about the president. Most likely a complaint was alleged about said content, and the people who work for Facebook don't have time to read every single thing to make sure, so they just hit delete and get on with things that actually matter. Like sorting out this stupid thing where private messages now appear on your profile wall for anyone to read, lol.

 

[Evil Eye]

It seems a little odd, mostly because most of their moderators are underpaid Africans as I recall... I doubt they'd care too much about US politics.

We get to discuss politics here

Yes, but Obama isn't actually a member of Off Topix. If he were we wouldn't allow you to call him names all the time.

 

[Raven]

I keep getting pages that I have apparently liked like KLM airways. WTF would I like that for?! I haven't been hacked or anything, Don't understand that.

 

[Roman Sahakov]

Facebook does quite good. It helps business owners to have just real likes who will become customers for them in the future.

 

[DrLeftover]

And now Amazon is deleted book reviews without comment.



I haven't checked any of my titles, yet.... but I will.