Dr Aly is the first Muslim to sit in the Australian Parliament.<\/p>\n
“This was spread in the echo chamber of right-wing people on Facebook,” she has told Fairfax.<\/h3>\n
“You want this platform of free and open discourse — it’s vital — but on the other hand, it can have those dangerous consequences. And if it becomes predominantly an echo chamber, then that goes against the grain of democracy, because it doesn’t expose people to other views and facts.”<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Facebook this week referenced the rumour in a blog post<\/a> about how the social platform is combating \u201cfalse news\u201d.<\/p>\n
“We recognise that the same tools that give people more voice can sometimes be used, by anyone, to spread hoaxes and misinformation,” Facebook\u2019s Samidh Chakrabarti wrote.<\/h3>\n
\u201cEven a handful of deliberately misleading stories can have dangerous consequences\u2026<\/h3>\n
“Facebook was originally designed to connect friends and family — and it has excelled at that. But as unprecedented numbers of people channel their political energy through this medium, it’s being used in unforeseen ways with societal repercussions that were never anticipated.<\/h3>\n
“In 2016, we at Facebook were far too slow to recognise how bad actors were abusing our platform. We’re working diligently to neutralise these risks now.”<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Labor MP Anne Aly has highlighted a false rumour spread about her last year as a notable example of misinformation corrupting politics. https:\/\/t.co\/Z5kAHPixm6<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/dyEcI5Eyr7<\/a><\/p>— The Age (@theage) January 24, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote> \n