Just ahead of the U.S. election, Facebook has discreetly deactivated a function that had raised significant concerns.

During a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Senator Ed Markey questioned Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, regarding reports indicating the company was aware that its group recommendations directed users toward increasingly radical content. Zuckerberg stated that the company had, in fact, disabled this feature for specific groups – a detail Facebook had not previously disclosed.

“We have taken the step of halting recommendations within groups for all content relating to political topics or social issues as a preventative measure,” Zuckerberg explained to Senator Markey.

TechCrunch contacted Facebook to inquire about which groups would be impacted and the duration of the suspension, but did not receive an immediate reply. Facebook initially confirmed the change to BuzzFeed News on Friday.

“This action was implemented in preparation for Election Day,” Facebook representative Liz Bourgeois communicated to TechCrunch via email. “We will evaluate when to reinstate them afterward, but they are intended to be temporary.”

This precautionary measure will suspend recommendations for groups focused on political and social issues, as well as any newly formed groups during this period. Facebook did not offer further specifics regarding which groups will be affected by the change or the reasoning behind the decision.

Experts studying extremism have consistently expressed worry that the algorithmic recommendations on social media platforms lead individuals toward more extreme viewpoints. Facebook has been cognizant of this issue since at least 2016, as evidenced by an internal presentation concerning extremism in Germany, which noted that “64% of all extremist group memberships originated from our recommendation tools.” Given the feature’s history, several anti-hate organizations welcomed Facebook’s decision to temporarily disable it on Friday.

“It is encouraging that Facebook is disabling group recommendations for all political content or social issue groups as a precaution during this election cycle. This could potentially create a more secure experience for users during this crucial time,” stated Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, to TechCrunch. “However, beyond the next week, considerably more effort is needed in the long run to guarantee that users are not exposed to extremist ideologies on Facebook’s platforms.”

Facebook’s algorithmic recommendations can introduce users who are exploring extreme perspectives and violent concepts to social groups where these dangerous ideologies can be intensified and coordinated. Prior to being removed from the social network, the far-right group the Proud Boys utilized Facebook groups for its relatively advanced national recruitment efforts. Individuals involved in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also reportedly used Facebook groups to organize, according to an FBI affidavit.

Although Facebook’s decision to deactivate certain group recommendations appears to be temporary, the company has recently made an unusual series of choices to restrict harmful content, potentially due to concerns that the 2020 election could once again involve it in political controversy. In the past three months alone, Facebook has taken action against QAnon, militias, and language employed by the Trump campaign that could be interpreted as voter intimidation – all unexpected actions given its historical lack of intervention and apprehension about decisions that might be seen as biased.

Following years of limited response, the company now seems to be addressing some of the extremism it has long fostered, although the coming days will likely test the effectiveness of its new protective measures.