Rather than human editors, it would be computer algorithms that would pick stories for Facebook’s trending topics section found on the right side of users’ newsfeeds.
In the past, the topics to feature was based by curators on an algorithmically generated list of things, events or people that people on the social media site are talking about. They then add a short description of each topic.
The change would try to address the allegations that editors behind the trending news section have a bias against conservative news sources and viewpoints, reported Huffington Post. However, while announcing in a blog post on Friday the automated system, Facebook said editors still have oversight function over the section to ensure quality.
Facebook copied in 2014 the trending section from Twitter. In removing the human-written description of the topics, the social media site wants to boost scalability and personalization of the product. However, the move could be a win for users who do not browse the portal in English or a loss for those who check the description of trends, reported Techcrunch.
By removing the human element, users would see trending topics better suited to their interests based on pages liked, trends previously interacted and more.
Facebook tested the automated algorithm in summer. With the change, the curators have been transferred to another team. According to the blog post, since Facebook is a platform for all ideas, it is “committed to maintaining Trending as a way for people to access a breadth of ideas and commentary about a variety of topics.”