The fight to study what happens on Facebook

Stefan Mileschin · 8th September 2021, 07:53

Facebook recently added a new report to its transparency center. The "widely viewed content" report was ostensibly meant to shed light on what’s been a long-running debate: What is the most popular content on Facebook?

The 20-page report raised more questions than answers. For example, it showed that the most viewed URL was a seemingly obscure website associated with former Green Bay Packers players. It boasted nearly 90 million views even though its official Facebook page has just a few thousand followers. The report also included URLs for e-commerce sites that seemed at least somewhat spammy, like online stores for CBD products and Bible-themed t-shirts. There was also a low-res cat GIF and several bland memes that asked people to respond with foods they like or don’t like or items they had recently purchased.

https://www.engadget.com/facebook-da...0.html?src=rss

8th September 2021, 07:53	#1
Stefan Mileschin [M] Reviewer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Romania Posts: 153,575	The fight to study what happens on Facebook Facebook recently added a new report to its transparency center. The "widely viewed content" report was ostensibly meant to shed light on what’s been a long-running debate: What is the most popular content on Facebook? The 20-page report raised more questions than answers. For example, it showed that the most viewed URL was a seemingly obscure website associated with former Green Bay Packers players. It boasted nearly 90 million views even though its official Facebook page has just a few thousand followers. The report also included URLs for e-commerce sites that seemed at least somewhat spammy, like online stores for CBD products and Bible-themed t-shirts. There was also a low-res cat GIF and several bland memes that asked people to respond with foods they like or don’t like or items they had recently purchased. https://www.engadget.com/facebook-da...0.html?src=rss

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Researchers shut down Instagram study following backlash from Facebook	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	16th August 2021 10:13
Study finds Facebook's free data app favored its own services	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	9th June 2021 09:25
Facebook is making it easier for researchers to study fringe groups	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	3rd June 2021 09:41
Study suggests Facebook shows users different job ads based on their gender	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	12th April 2021 08:05
Food dominates Facebook video views, study shows	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	26th August 2017 14:33
Facebook SSD reliability study shows early burnouts	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	25th June 2015 09:27
Study finds that Facebook's privacy options often confounds users	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	11th March 2013 08:13
Study finds many Facebook users are envious of their friends	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	23rd January 2013 08:47
Study: Facebook Boosts Voter Turnout	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	13th September 2012 10:04
Study Says We're Getting Less Friendly On Facebook	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	27th February 2012 08:57