Facebook Weeds Out Fake ‘Likes,’ Improves Brand Integrity

Facebook has stepped up its security on brand pages, working to remove fraudulent Likes caused by spambots, malware or fake account users.

Most likely only less than 1% of any given Page’s Likes will be removed, Facebook’s blog announced.Facebook had previous safeguards against automated Likes. But some companies did seek to violate Facebook’s terms of service to increase their reach on the social network by purchasing Likes in bulk.

Tightening Facebook’s security measures are designed to enhance brands’ connections with their customers, ensuring that the social network remains a genuine advertising platform. Brands will also be able to gage a more accurate measurement of demographics and fans, Facebook says.

“This improvement will allow Pages to produce ever more relevant and interesting content, and brands will see an increase in the true engagement around their content,” says Facebook.

The clean-up also means users won’t be bothered as much by viral spam that deceives users into liking brand content through fake videos or photos.