Facebook clamps down on fake profiles
Facebook is clamping down on an estimated 83 million fake profiles, which could see the amount of likes on brands’ Facebook pages reduced by up to 1 per cent.
The social network says it is increasing its automated efforts to remove likes on pages that have been gained by violatingFacebook’s terms and conditions.
This will include likes gained by malware, compromised accounts and purchased bulk likes.
Facebook says the move will benefit brands and users because it means page owners will have a more accurate measure of their fan count and demographics.
The site adds that the improvement will allow pages to produce “ever more relevant and interesting content” and brands will see an increase in true engagement around their content. On average, it says less than 1 per cent of likes on any given page will be removed, providing they and their affiliates have been abiding by Facebook’s terms.
Facebook also recommends page owners vet any business that offers marketing services to build out their presence on the site to ensure they are using only legitimate practices.
The company says in a blog post: “Facebook was built on the principle of real identity and we want this same authenticity to extend to Pages. We undoubtedly expect that this will be a positive change for anyone using Facebook, and we look forward to helping even more people share and connect with the friends and brands they care about.”
The move follows Facebook’s admittance last month that about 9 per cent of its 955 “active” users are likely to be fake profiles.
The amount of fake profiles on Facebook could have severe implications on the site, which relies on advertisers for the majority of its revenue. Brands could become wary about placing ads on the site if Facebook cannot prove they are reaching enough authentic users.