Facebook, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), is launching a new campaign across a number of African countries to provide accurate information and combat fake news around the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Together Against Covid-19 Misinformation” will roll out to people in English and French across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and DRC, and will show up on Facebook through a series of graphics with tips on how to spot false news:
1. Check The Source: Scrutinise content, even if it appears science based
2. Check How It Makes You Feel: False news can manipulate feelings for clicks
3. Check The Context: Look to public health authorities to confirm content
Aïda Ndiaye, public policy manager at Facebook, says: “Ensuring users are getting authoritative information about Covid-19 vaccines is just some of the vital work we’re doing here at Facebook. During the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, we’ll continue working with industry experts and people on our platforms to ensure we’re aggressively tackling misinformation, and giving people additional resources to scrutinise content they see online, helping them decide what to read, trust and share.”
As part of the campaign, Facebook will also be launching a dedicated website (https://bit.ly/3fwscsN) in English and French, which will include information on how it’s tackling misinformation on its platforms. It will give people more transparency around its Remove, Reduce and Inform strategy, outline its community standards, and share the steps it’s taking to combat false news around global events such as Covid-19, elections and climate change.