Facebook has promised to do more to stop the spread of misinformation about COVID-19. Because, despite its previous efforts, people are still sharing absolute nonsense about the cause of, and possible cures for, COVID-19 on the social network.
Facebook Hopes to Dispel COVID-19 Myths
The social network announced its new efforts in a post on the Facebook Newsroom. There are essentially two components; one aimed at informing users who may have been guilty of spreading misinformation, and the other aimed at providing accurate information.
The first element is a new section of the COVID-19 Information Center called Get the Facts. This features fact-checked articles that debunk misinformation about the coronavirus. The articles are curated by human checkers, and updated every week.
I want to share an update on the work we're doing to connect people with accurate information and limit the spread of…
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, April 16, 2020
The second element is designed to inform people who have already interacted with harmful misinformation about COVID-19. So, if you have liked, reacted, or commented on a post that Facebook has since removed, Facebook will tell you about it.
You’ll see a message in News Feed informing you that the post you interacted with was removed. The message will point you to a list of myths debunked by the World Health Organization (WHO). The hope being that you’ll stop amplifying untruths in the future.
Reliable Sources for Coronavirus Information
Whatever you may think of the WHO and its lax attitude to China, it’s still the best option we have for fighting the coronavirus pandemic. And its website is packed with useful help and advice, including the aforementioned page busting the myths about COVID-19.
And the WHO is far from the only trustworthy source for news on the coronavirus. In fact there are so many that we have compiled a list of sites you can trust for reliable information about COVID-19. So there’s no need to spread lies and misinformation.
Image Credit: Cat Branchman/Flickr
Read the full article: Facebook Wants You to Get the Facts on Coronavirus
