Facebook promoted lies and conspiracy theories following Amtrak crash

Facebook just can't help itself. 

Following news Wednesday morning that an Amtrak train full of Congressional Republicans crashed into a truck, the social media site was soon promoting conspiracy theories and lies purporting to explain the sinister forces behind the tragedy that left one person dead. 

For a company that has publicly and repeatedly been accused of enabling the spread of so-called "fake news," this is just yet another major misstep in a long line of missteps. 

First spotted by The Daily Beast's Ben Collins, Facebook's screw up du jour involved the "People Are Saying" section of Trending Topics. The phrase "Charlottesville, Virginia," which is near where the train wreck occurred, was trending, and clicking through brought a Facebook user to a page with information about the incident.  Read more...