WhatsApp’s Check the Facts to curtail the spread of misinformation
WhatsApp partners with 10 Indian Fact Checking companies to combat the spread of fake news on its platform.
WhatsApp, in partnership with 10 Indian organisations, launched Check the Facts, a safety campaign to tackle the spread of misinformation on its platform. During a month, the campaign will highlight tools like block, report, and forward labels, which will allow users to spot misinformation easily. The App also allows users to block accounts and submit reports to the company if they suspect a message is spreading misinformation.
Even though WhatsApp has long implemented some of the highlighted tools, what is new is the fact that users can now follow the WhatsApp channels of the 10 Indian fact-checking organisations, including Boom Fact-Check, Fact Crescendo, Factly, and The Healthy Indian Project for verified and accurate updates.
Why does it matter?
According to MIT research, misinformation spreads up to 10 times faster than accurate reporting on social media. The measures taken by Meta not only help in the fight against misinformation its collaboration with fact-checking companies operationalises the spirit of SDG 17, which promotes the importance of partnerships in achieving identified goals. The step also positions WhatsApp to better align with the tenets of many online safety bills presently being implemented across the globe.
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