Facebook pop-up warning: This article is x months old
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Key notes
- Facebook is the world's most popular social media platform, and it is constantly updated.
- One example of an update is the notification you get when you share old news articles.
- If you want to read more about this amazing service, check out our dedicated Facebook Hub.
- For more guides on what things are and how to use them, check out our How-To page.
Social media has been part of our everyday lives for some years now, and it has grown from a simple platform where you post pictures to an excellent place to distribute information in the form of shared articles.
Unfortunately, news is something that becomes irrelevant really fast, as events unfold in ways that could make certain articles outdated.
That being the case, Facebook has taken certain measures so that news articles that are older than 90 will be less likely to be posted.
What does the This article is x months old notification mean?
This process started all the way back in 2018 when Facebook first introduced the context button.
The sole purpose of this feature is to provide information about the sources of articles in what appears on everyone’s News Feed.
Now, Facebook as gone further down this road by showcasing a notification every time you want to share a news article that is older than 90 days.
How do I share older articles on Facebook?
One thing worth mentioning is that this doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to share that article anymore, just that you will be warned beforehand that what you are sharing may be old news.
When prompted with the warning message, simply press Continue, as you can see in the image above.
Facebook commented on the release of this feature by stating that:
Over the past several months, our internal research found that the timeliness of an article is an important piece of context that helps people decide what to read, trust and share.
News publishers in particular have expressed concerns about older stories being shared on social media as current news, which can misconstrue the state of current events.
Some news publishers have already taken steps to address this on their own websites by prominently labeling older articles to prevent outdated news from being used in misleading ways. Â
However, suffice it to know that if you get this notification, then it means that the news that you are sharing may be old, and therefore irrelevant.
The end goal is to allow a more transparent distribution of information and hopefully a purging of old news in the long run.
What’s your take on this exciting new feature? Let us know if you find it a useful addition by leaving us a message in the comments section below.
- Is Facebook safe?
Facebook in itself is a very secure platform, but it all boils down to the links you click and the attachments you open from your contacts If you want to stay safe, check out these antiviruses designed specifically with Facebook in mind.
- How do I use Facebook in my browser?
While most users now access Facebook via their smartphones, Facebook can be accessed and used for your PC’s web browser.
- Can I play games via Facebook?
Yes, you can, and this is made all the easier thanks to the dedicated Facebook Gameroom App. If you’re having issues running this app, check out this in-depth guide on how to fix Facebook Gameroom.
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