Killing The Joke: Facebook labels“Fake News” Satire as “Fake News”

Good old Facebook and its censorship algorithms! By now you may even know an artist who has had an art posting removed or cited for “sensitive” material.

For the first time ever, Professor Ġorġ Mallia found himself in the crosshairs with his latest installment of his Zeep strip from The Times of Malta taking aim at the never-ending spread of false news online.

His latest offering depicted a man, agitated on whether or not COVID-19 was a hoax, and begins to go through an existential crisis, questioning even his own existence as a comic strip character.

“My Żepp strip from today satirizes fake news about COVID-19… as it has done in all its 119 strips, but according to Facebook I am the one spreading fake news about COVID-19,” he said. “If you want to see today’s strip you’ll need to go to the Times‘ website to do so.”

Professor Mallia indicated that he may no longer post his cartoon strip on Facebook, calling the social media giant’s fake news algorithm “ridiculously hopeless – all the actual fake news gets through!”

Has your favorite artist or perhaps you yourself posted any art that’s been frowned upon by Facebook? Let us know in the comments below.