How social media platforms are tackling coronavirus fake news?

“It turns you into a zombie!”

 

“Drinking bleach will cure you!”

 

“The virus is funded by Bill Gates and the W.H.O!”

 

It’s not just the Coronavirus that is erupting and spreading, to further complicate the situation we have numerous fake news regarding the disease that is monopolizing the internet, creating a cloud of uncertainty and confusion worldwide.

 

An escalating number of false claims are circulating on social media platforms. For instance, owing to false assertions disseminating on Tiktok some people are deluded into believing that avoidance of cold drinks like ice- creams and milkshakes can lead to prevention of the disease. While many others are fooled into assuming that the consumption of spicy food can help guard them against the disease.

 

Tiktok isn’t the only platform being used to disseminate fake news. Various false updates have found their way onto Twitter. For instance, a certain Twitter user claimed that “people are literally dying on the streets of China” an unverified and misleading statement which created a frenzy of anxiety and apprehension amongst the populace active on the platform. 

 

In order to deal with such misleading information, social media platforms like Twitter, Tiktok, Facebook and Google have made an attempt to administer and regulate the online content.  

 

Facebook, for instance, has stated that it will make use of its existing fact-checkers for reviewing and exposing misleading information. The firm has also stated that it will notify people sharing any such information which has been flagged as false.

 

Facebook claims to mainly be focusing on any information that has been created for discouraging treatment and publicising false cures.

 

Twitter meanwhile has initiated a search prompt that appears upon users searching for coronavirus. The prompt encourages them to make use of official channels such as The World Health Organization for all information relating to the disease. 

 

This basically implies that when users search for “Coronavirus”, a large headline highlighting the title “Know the facts” appears.

 

As for Tiktok, the video-sharing platform has set up a link on its platform to the WHO’s website and is also flashing warnings to its users to report any information that they feel might be damaging or against their community guidelines.