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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Jasmine Belle and Sarah Marsh

Facebook groups exposed to hundreds of hoax posts, study shows

Facebook logo displayed on a phone screen
In 2021, Facebook made it possible for users to join local groups without approval by administrators. Photograph: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock

Members of local Facebook groups have been exposed to hundreds of hoax posts, including false reports of missing children or deadly snakes on the loose, a study shows.

The fact-checking charity Full Fact found more than 1,200 false posts on the social media site’s community groups across the world, and warned that these were probably just “the tip of the iceberg”.

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