An article saying a “Facebook drug task force” will start monitoring Facebook messages Oct. 1 is fake.
The article was posted on National Report, a satire website.
It reads: “Menlo Park, CA — Beginning October 1st, Facebook will be implementing a drug task force designed to arrest those who buy and sell narcotics while using the online social networking site. Facebook is calling the group the Facebook Drug Task Force, or FDTF, and will be monitoring all postings and messages created by its users.”
The article had about 1 million shares and “likes” on Facebook.
The National Report used to have a disclaimer saying it doesn’t post real news stories, but it was removed.
The disclaimer used to say, “DISCLAIMER: National Report is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. All news articles contained within National Report are fiction, and presumably fake news. Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental . The views expressed by writers on this site are theirs alone and are not reflective of the fine journalistic and editorial integrity of National Report.”
On social media sites, a number of people apparently believed the story.
