WASHINGTON, DC (KELO-AM) Facebook is making changes to its Trending Topics feature, following a letter of inquiry from South Dakota Senator John Thune (R), Chairman of the Commerce Committee.
"Facebook has been forthcoming about how it determines trending topics", says Senator Thune, "and steps it will take to minimize the risk of bias from individual human judgement. Thune and others expressed concern that the popular Facebook feature was biased against conservative issues and topics.
According to a statement from the company, Facebook will no longer rely on external news websites or RSS feeds to “identify, validate, or assess the importance of trending topics.
Senator Thune thanked the company for its efforts to "acknowledge relevant facts and its recognition of a continuing need to transparently address relevant user questions.
Thune says transparency - not regulation - remains the goal.