Coronavirus is dangerous, no doubt about it. But something that’s just as dangerous and has managed to embed itself deep into the psyche of general populace globally, is misinformation about the virus. And media companies realise that. Hence, Facebook, Reddit, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter and Youtube have decided to nip that bud and are working together to curb this rampant spread of false news.
In their respective twitter posts, Microsoft and others have made the efforts made by itself and all its partners to fight this information pandemic public.
A joint industry statement on COVID-19 from Microsoft, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube: pic.twitter.com/uKEXvjMuBi
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) March 17, 2020
Attached to this announcement was a picture that read, “We are working closely together on COVID-19 response efforts. We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world. We invite other companies to join us as we work to keep our communities healthy and safe,”
Misinformation is the downside that comes with freedom of speech, creating hysteria and panic around the world. Misrepresented knowledge, shrouded as facts have been making rounds in social media for months now. From things like ‘changing your diet plan to veg/keto/carnivorous’ to ‘gargling with hot water or bleach’ as fixes for the virus have made tech companies concerned about how their platforms are being used to spread disinformation at a pace that is exponentially higher than the virus itself.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of World Health Organisation said “We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infodemic. Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous,” a month before the organisation declared it a pandemic.
