Is your friend an extremist? Facebook is asking some users about exposure to content.
social network said the queries are part of a test of its Redirect Initiative, which intends to combat violent extremism, the company confirmed Thursday.
“We are partnering with NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and academic experts in this space and hope to have more to share in the future,” a Facebook spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The test comes as the world’s largest social media network continues to face intense scrutiny from critics, experts and politicians to curb extremism across its platforms. A closer eye has been placed on Facebook in the U.S. after the deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6 when supporters of then-President Donald Trump tried to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidency.
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Facebook banned Trump soon after the events and, in May, Facebook’s independent oversight board decided to uphold Trump’s ban on the platform and urged the platform to investigate what role it might have played in the Capitol riot.
One of the queries captured in a screenshot asks users, “Are you concerned that someone you know is becoming an extremist?”
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Facebook has repeatedly vowed “to enforce our policies and will remove content and accounts that violate our rules. We are providing these additional resources to give people exposed to this content more information and help others.”