Facebook is testing a Messenger feature that would identify suspicious accounts

Facebook is currently testing a new feature for Messenger that would identify suspicious accounts sending unwarranted direct messages, letting users know the account’s country of origin by phone number and whether it was recently created. The new feature was first disclosed by Motherboard, which received a screenshot of the test from multimedia artist Erin Gallagher. Facebook confirmed to Motherboard that it is indeed testing the feature, but spokesperson Dalya Browne said it was a “small test” at the moment.

Though the feature looks to be geared toward fighting scams and unsolicited messages from accounts using fake or misleading identities, there is an element of Facebook fighting growing misinformation and bots from countries like...

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