Facebook in Partnership with WHO Launches Campaign to Tackle Fake Covid-19 and Vaccine News
Facebook has launched a campaign in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to combat misinformation and fake news regarding Covid-19 and vaccine updates in Africa. This campaign aims to remove false vaccine claims, decrease the circulation of inaccurate health information and inform people about effective vaccine delivery.
The campaign called, ‘Together Against Covid-19 Misinformation’ is set to be launched across Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Côte d’Ivoire. The default language on this campaign will be French and English.
Public Policy Manager, Aïda Ndiaye stated that ensuring Facebook users receive authoritative information about the Covid-19 vaccine with the help of industry experts and Facebook users are important to tackle misinformation. She further comments on the campaign gives users “additional resources to scrutinize content they see online, helping them decide what to read trust and share.”
This campaign will show up on Facebook through a series of graphics with tips on how to identify false news/ misinformation:
- Check The Source: Scrutinise 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
A dedicated website will be launched as part of the website as part of the campaign. This website includes information on how Facebook is combating misinformation, transparency on their ‘Remove, Reduce and Inform strategy.’, their outlined community standards and steps they are taking to tackle false news around global events.
