People want Facebook to have a human editor
Facebook has encountered increased criticism since it switched from a human team that picks trending topics to an algorithm.
The anniversary of 9/11 was a trending topic on the site, but the automated system that controls those topics didn't just show actual news -- it showed a conspiracy theory.
Facebook removed the anniversary from its trending topics Friday, but not before being accused of insensitivity. Many called for the company to reinstate a human editor to control trending topics.
This is at least the second time that a hoax article has appeared in Facebook's trending topics since the switch. In late August, the site feature was topped by a fake article claiming Fox News host Megyn Kelly had been fired.
But humans don't always get it right in the public's eye either. The company dismantled its trending topics team last month following reports that bias was governing story selection.
And earlier this week, the human side of Facebook censored a Pulitzer-winning war photo that showed a young, naked girl running away from bombs on a street in Vietnam.
Due to the site's "community standards," the photo was briefly removed -- a move that also drew criticism.
