“Facebook Groups” now has a new feature – ‘Group Experts’

Facebook Groups now has a new feature called “Group Experts” that allows admin to designate members with the best knowledge of a subject as experts. With this new feature, the company hopes to put an end to the spread of misinformation on Group pages by allowing experts to judge the accuracy of the information. 

Next to the name ‘Group Expert’ is a badge that appears during posts, comments and during Q&A sessions. “There are more than 70 million admins and moderators running active Facebook groups around the world,” the social networking site said in a blog post on Tuesday.

“Many of these groups are home to subject matter experts who love to share their knowledge, from fitness trainers to highly skilled crafters. Now, it’s easier than ever to help experts stand out in groups and offer ways for them to engage with their communities,” it added.

Group Experts are selected by the Admins, and experts receive these exclusive rights only after receiving a nomination. Administrators can also revoke expert status.

Facebook is currently testing how to make it easier for administrators to find these experts by prompting specific users, currently in the gaming and fitness spaces, to add familiar games or activities. Admins can discover Group Experts by searching topics like these. This is Facebook’s new strategy to help admins grow their groups, since the new experts will be able to ask followers who have recently interacted with their main page to join the group as well. 

However, if the group appoints an unreliable expert, or if the group deliberately participates in posting untrustworthy information, the administrator will be able to denounce that expert.

When asked about additional tools to help admins moderate group experts providing accurate information, a Facebook spokesperson said the company has specific and tactical manners of handling misinformation on the platform. The spokesperson added that members can report content to the group manager at any time. 

For now we are not sure when the ‘Group Experts’ feature will become available to all Facebook group owners.