Meta partners with 11 Indian companies to curb fake news

Meta has rolled out a safety campaign ‘know what’s real’. The idea of the campaign is to drive awareness around the importance of fighting misinformation in today’s digital age. 

 

The campaign aims to educate users on identifying and addressing misinformation on WhatsApp and Instagram by promoting digital best practices and highlighting available safety tools.

 

The eight-week long campaign highlights in-built product features and safety measures present on WhatsApp like block and report, forward labels that equip users to spot misinformation and prevent its spread further, and encourages people to verify information that sounds suspicious or inaccurate via fact-checking organisations on WhatsApp Channels.

 

 

On Instagram, Meta teams up with a robust network of fact checkers to verify information. If something false, like deepfakes, is found, they put warning labels in the app to tell people it's not accurate.   

 

 

In India, Meta has partnered with AFP, Boom, Digit Eye, Fact Crescendo, Factly, India Today, Newschecker, Newsmobile, The Healthy Indian Project, The Quint - WebQoof and Vishvas News, to fact check and curb misinformation. These partners have the capabilities to fact-check content in 15 Indian languages and English – enabling people to identify, review, verify information and help prevent the spread of misinformation on Meta platforms.

 

Shivnath Thukral, director, public policy India, Meta, said, “Meta is committed to fighting misinformation online. We have invested in industry leading programs like setting up a robust network of independent fact-checkers that work to debunk false claims and help citizens access reliable information, including collaborating with MCA to launch a WhatsApp tipline to curb AI-generated misinformation. The campaign is an extension of our ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of misinformation and serves as a simple safety guide to educate people on the role they can play to combat it.”