Facebook wants to tag breaking new posts for its users

Facebook is expanding its role as a media platform for third-party news publications, Recode reports.

It now allows some publishers to tag themselves as breaking news, which lets users of Facebook’s newsfeed pick news out among a sea of memes and cat pictures.

Publications who use Facebook can make use of the tag once in 24 hours and can leave the tag on a story for a period of time between 15 minutes and 6 hours.

According to Recode, Facebook isn’t going to use the tag to boost certain new items higher up in your feed just yet, but they will be considering it as the test goes.

Facebook has not shared which media companies it has gifted the breaking news tag, but Vox Media owned properties like Recode and The Verge are some of the first to take part in the experiment.

Facebook has been criticised for its approach to news management in the past months, especially with regards to the spread of fake or fabricated news, propaganda and revenge porn on its platforms. 

It is unclear how the government agencies that are currently evaluating Facebook’s role in the proliferation of news and information will view this latest step.