Facebook pages with large US following to require authorisation

Facebook Inc will introduce an authorization process for users who manage Facebook pages with a large US following, it said yesterday, seeking to make it harder to administer a page using a fake or compromised account. The measures come about a week after the social network said it identified a new coordinated political influence campaign on its platform to mislead users ahead of November’s US congressional elections.

At the time, Facebook removed 32 pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram as part of efforts to combat foreign meddling in U.S. elections.

The new measures will require administrators of Facebook pages to secure their account with two-factor authentication and confirm their primary home location.

Facebook will also add a section that shows the primary country from where a page is being managed. Facebook-owned pho - to-sharing app Instagram will also roll out similar features in the coming weeks.