Facebook will warn you when you share old news

Sometimes an article that was relevant a few years ago is painfully obsolete now, and sharing it might do more harm than good (and invoke the fury of your journalist friends). And sometimes it’s just so old that everyone (but you, apparently) has already seen it. 

Yet, it happens to all of us — it’s easy to forget to check the publication date, which is often hidden from view. 

Now, Facebook is doing something about it. On Thursday, the company announced it will start showing a notification screen, letting users know that they’re sharing an article that’s more than 90 days old. 

Facebook says news publishers have expressed concerns about older stories being shared on social sites, as it can “misconstrue the state of current events.” 

Obviously, sometimes the old article is still relevant, which is why users will still be able to share it by hitting “Continue.”

The feature is globally rolling out now. 

Facebook says it will put this notification screen to other uses “over the next few months.” The company says it’s looking into showing a notification screen on COVID-19-related posts, providing information about the link’s source and directing people to its COVID-19 Information Center site.