Facebook is launching a new campaign in partnership with the WHO called Together Against COVID-19 Misinformation. The campaign will be accessible to people in both English and French across South Africa; Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and DRC.
The campaign will show up on a dedicated Facebook website through a series of graphics with tips on how to spot false news as listed below
- Check the source – Scrutinize content, even if it appears science-based.
- Check how it makes you feel – False news can manipulate feelings for clicks.
- Check the context – Look to public health authorities to confirm content.
Facebook has been working to connect people to accurate information and reduce misinformation on its platforms, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, it announced the biggest worldwide campaign to promote authoritative information about COVID-19 vaccines, working to remove false vaccine claims, reduce distribution of inaccurate health information, and inform people about effective vaccine delivery.
Aïda Ndiaye, Public Policy Manager, Facebook Africa, commented, “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 scrutinize content they see online, helping them decide what to read, trust and share.”
As part of the campaign, Facebook will also launch a dedicated website in English and French, which will include information on how people are tackling misinformation on online platforms. It will give people more transparency around our Remove, Reduce and Inform strategy, outline our community standards, and share the steps we’re taking to combat false news around global events such as COVID-19, elections and climate change.