Twitter enters the fight against Coronavirus fighting disinformation

The respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus already affects 13 countries on 4 continentsThe respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus already affects 13 countries on 4 continents

Twitter announced that it will avoid automated search results that "are likely to direct individuals to unreliable content" and instead use the search to direct users to authorized information from organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The approach is very similar to the work Twitter has done to combat vaccine-related misinformation on its platform.

This effort, which also encourages users to "get to know the facts," directs vaccine-related research to the website vaccines.gov, a department of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in an effort to discourage conspiracy theories and others. incorrect information.

"… We launched a new dedicated research prompt to ensure that when you go to the service to get information about #coronavirus, you first receive reliable and authorized information," wrote Twitter in a statement. The company has formed partnerships with organizations in 14 countries, including the USA, Australia and Japan, and says it will expand to more locations "as needed".

Although Twitter says it has yet to see "significant coordinated attempts to spread misinformation" related to the coronavirus, there have been more than 15 million tweets related to the problem in just the past four weeks.

According to the company. Viral conspiracy theories and misinformation about the coronavirus are already spreading on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Telegram.

So while Twitter is unlikely to end coronavirus misinformation, the company says it hopes to contribute to efforts "to contain the threat".

We recommend reading: