Facebook Starts Warning Users Before Sharing COVID-19 Links to Combat Misinformation

Facebook’s new notification screen will tell users when an article was first shared and its source.

Facebook Starts Warning Users Before Sharing COVID-19 Links to Combat Misinformation

Photo Credit: Facebook

Facebook users can now see when the article was first shared and its source

Highlights
  • Facebook’s notification screen offers users context about COVID-19 posts
  • Part of Facebook’s larger efforts to fight misinformation about COVID-19
  • Facebook rolls out feature to users worldwide
Advertisement

Facebook is rolling out a new notification screen globally that will give users more context about the COVID-19 related articles they share on the social network. The notification will inform users when the article was first shared and its source. This is a part of Facebook's larger efforts to combat rampant misinformation around novel coronavirus. The notification will also direct people to Facebook's COVID-19 Information Center, where they can access credible information about the virus from global health authorities.

Facebook said in a blog post that content posted by government health authorities and recognised global health organisations like the World Health Organization would be exempt from this notification feature, so that the spread of information from credible health authorities isn't slowed down.

Facebook said that the aim was to make sure that people have the context they needed to make informed decisions about what to share on the social networking platform about COVID-19. The notification, according to Facebook, would help people understand the recency and source of the content before they share it. Facebook announced the feature last month and now, it has been made available to everyone.

This feature is a part of measures being taken by Facebook to battle misinformation about COVID-19. According to data released earlier this week, Facebook said it removed seven million posts during the second quarter for sharing false information about novel coronavirus, including content that promoted fake preventative measures and exaggerated cures. In a first, Facebook took down a post by US President Donald Trump for violating its rules against misinformation about coronavirus.

This feature is likely rolling out in stages and isn't available for us yet. Let us know in comments below if you see a notification screen with context about an article link related to COVID-19 while sharing it on Facebook.


Is Nord the iPhone SE of the OnePlus world? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Marvel’s Avengers PC System Requirements Announced
iOS 13.6.1 Released With a Fix for ‘Green Tint’ Issue, iPadOS 13.6.1 Debuts Alongside
Share on Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat Share Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News
 
 

Advertisement

Follow Us

Advertisement

© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »