Facebook is introducing a new feature called “Group Experts” today, which will allow admins to designate which members are highly knowledgeable about the group’s topic.
Beyond the bragging rights, Group Experts will have a badge next to their name emblazoned with the proof of their elevated status. This badge will show up on posts, comments, and in the Q&A feature.
Group Experts will be selected by group administrators, and experts will only be given this extraordinary power once they have accepted the nomination. Admins can revoke the expert status, as well.
Facebook is testing ways to make it easier for admins to find these experts, by prompting specific users, currently in the gaming and fitness spaces, to add which games or activities they’re knowledgeable about. Group admins can search these topics to find their new Group Experts. This tactic works as a growth driver for groups as well, since the new experts will be able to invite followers who have recently interacted with their main page to join the group too.
Image: Facebook
However, if a group nominates an untrustworthy expert or if that group is willfully engaged in posting misinformation, it will exclusively be up to the admins to remove them from their expert status. For instance, groups that push anti-vax agendas would likely not nominate conventional doctors or public health officials as experts. So while the “expert” tag designates the trust of admins, it doesn’t objectively qualify someone as a real expert.
When asked about additional moderation tools to ensure Group Experts provide accurate information, a Facebook spokesperson listed the established ways the company deals with misinformation on the platform, like third-party fact checkers and reducing distribution for content flagged as misleading. They added that members can always report content to group admins.
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