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Facebook launches Perspectives tool to compare political party stances on key issues

The new feature will enable to directly compare the views of each party.
The new feature will enable to directly compare the views of each party. The new feature will enable to directly compare the views of each party.

Facebook has launched a new feature enabling users to compare the stances of the major political parties on key issues ahead of the General Election.

The feature, called Perspectives, will appear as a prompt beneath articles linked to the election and will allow viewers to read each party’s position on issues such as housing, the economy and foreign affairs.

Perspectives
Perspectives
(Facebook)

The feature will be location-sensitive and will show parties depending on whether the user is viewing it in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England.

Perspectives
Perspectives
(Facebook)

Facebook, which has more than 30 million users in the UK, said the feature will appear up to three times a day and will be


activated by the type of article, not the individual viewing it.

The site said it will display each party’s stance on the issues in random order.

Perspectives was first used by the social networking giant ahead of the French presidential election earlier this month.

Facebook logo
Facebook logo
(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Facebook said it created the feature to make it easier for users to find and compare information about different political parties, as well as to help build an informed community.

The social media giant has been heavily criticised for its policing of so-called “fake news” and other content on its platform.