• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, September 14, 2018

Amid intense pressure to solve its fake news problem, Facebook is expanding its efforts to “fact-check” photos and videos.

The coordinated efforts consist of partnerships with 27 third-party fact-checkers in 17 countries worldwide.

“To date, most of our fact-checking partners have focused on reviewing articles,” Antonia Woodford, product manager, Facebook, admitted in a new blog post.

Yet, with the expanded effort, Woodford said: “This will help us identify and take action against more types of misinformation, faster.”

Not unlike its approach to fake articles, Facebook built a machine-learning model that uses assorted engagement signals -- including feedback from users -- to identify potentially false photos and video.

After the AI does its part, the social giant then sends suspicious photos and videos to fact-checkers for review. Human fact-checkers can also flag content on their own.

Facebook also relies on its many partners for various visual verification techniques, including reverse image searching and analyzing image metadata -- such as when and where photo and video were taken.

“Fact-checkers are able to assess the truth or falsity of a photo or video by combining these skills with other journalistic practices, like using research from experts, academics or government agencies,” according to Woodford.

Based on several months of research and testing, Facebook has come to categorize misinformation in photos and videos in three ways: manipulated or fabricated, out of context and “text or audio claims.”

Leading up to the midterm elections, Facebook is under immense pressure to curb foreign- and domestic-born political disinformation campaigns.  

Earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg insisted the company was moving in the right direction.

“We have a lot of work ahead, but I am confident we will end this year with much more sophisticated approaches than we began. The focus and investments we've put in will be better for our community and the world over the long term,” Facebook’s cofounder-CEO said in a new bl og post.

Among other efforts to discourage election interference, Facebook set up an independent election research commission earlier this year in partnership with a host of academics and foundations.