- Find out more about Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Programme.
You’ve posted an image, a video, a statement or a link to an article on Facebook or Instagram. And a fact-checker has rated it “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”.
This could mean fewer people will see your page. Stronger action is taken against repeat offenders.
What do you do?
First, don’t delete the post.
Deleting the post won’t remove the strike against your account. But it will make it impossible for a fact-checker to process any appeal.
Second, read Meta’s guide: What publishers need to know about fact-checking on Facebook.
Then take these steps.
1. Has the fact-checker got it wrong? Appeal the rating
If you think a fact-checker’s rating is unfair, you can appeal to them directly.
If Africa Check rated your post, fill in this form and submit it to us. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
2. Has the fact-checker got it right? Correct your post
If the fact-checker’s rating is fair, you’ll need to correct your post or article. Then fill in this form and submit it to us, and we’ll process the correction as soon as possible.
If you’re not sure how to make a correction, read the next step.
3. Correcting the information
How to correct a post
If the false information is in the Facebook or Instagram post itself, edit the caption – the text you wrote when posting the content – to state that it is false, and why.
Say, for instance, you shared a graphic that incorrectly attributed a quote to a famous person. All you need to do is edit the text of the post to indicate that the quote is not by that person, and how the fact-checker worked that out.
Here’s an example of a corrected Facebook post.
How to correct an article posted on Facebook
If the false information is in an article you have published on a website and posted on Facebook, you’ll need to correct the article.
Once you’ve made the correction, clearly state either at the start or end of the article that the error was made, that it has been corrected, and why.
Here are two examples of corrections to articles:
- An article on the UK’s Independent website states the error and its correction at the beginning of the article.
- An article on the UK’s Guardian website states the error and its correction at the end of the article. (The Guardian maintains a daily record of its errors and corrections, as do other news sites that take facts seriously.)
4. Ask for the rating to be changed
Once you’ve corrected the post or article, fill in this form and submit it to us. We’ll assess the correction and, if it meets the requirements, remove the rating as soon as possible.
Learn how to identify false information
Africa Check’s Guides include many resources to help you spot false information. They give you the skills to allow you to fact-check, by yourself, information you suspect could be false.
Here are a few:
- Fact-checking tips and advice
- Facebook scams and how to spot them
- How to vet information during a pandemic
- How to spot cheap, out-of-context and deepfake videos
- How to verify images on your phone
- Evaluating health claims, quacks and cures
Also see our tipsheets:
- Five steps to fight fake news and false information on WhatsApp
- Verifying health claims, quacks or false cures
- How to verify breaking news
And our Info Finder provides reliable facts and useful data sources on a wide range of topics for Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the rest of Africa.