The popular instant messaging service WhatsApp has begun to move and become aware to try to stop the use of its platform to spread hoaxes, fake news and misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, since the application is on the phone of tens of millions of people from all over the world, and the negationist discourse is very likely to permeate large pockets of the population.
The Facebook-owned app (now Meta) has been used to spread false rumors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, often in the form of anonymous text and voice messages, memes, videos, and chain letters that managed to reach the public. mobile phone of thousands and thousands of people.
Fight against hoaxes and ‘fake news’
For example, one of the most recent hoaxes has been circulating for the past few weeks, shared in the form of a fake WhatsApp voice message claiming that researchers at the Medical University of Vienna had found a link between ibuprofen and more severe symptoms. of the coronavirus. The problem is that it is impossible to know how many people have been in contact with this false information , since the end-to-end encryption that the application incorporates makes it impossible to track the messages and know exactly how widespread they are and what impact they have.
In a statement, WhatsApp has warned that they are “committed” to the fight against viral messages containing disinformation and false news , and ensure that they have significantly reduced the number of chats to which messages can be forwarded at the same time, to avoid This type of content goes viral.
“We encourage all users to verify the news they see on the Internet and receive on their mobile phones before sharing the messages that have been forwarded to them on Whatsapp, and we also encourage users to interact directly with official and reliable sources to obtain important information, such as about the coronavirus”.
Just two days ago, WhatsApp unveiled its Worldwide Coronavirus Information Hub, which aims to “provide simple, practical guidance” for health workers, governments, and businesses that rely on and rely heavily on coronavirus. common and recurrent this type of software. The resources will also be available to all users of the platform, to try to ” reduce the spread of rumors and connect with accurate and rigorous health information,” the company added.
Prevent the spread of disinformation
The measure has been carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the United Nations Development Program. WhatsApp has announced that it will also donate €1 million to the independent Poynter Institute’s International Data Verification Network (IFCN). This grant is intended to support the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance, which encompasses more than 100 organizations in at least 45 countries around the world, where fake news is raging.
