Coronavirus: Google, Facebook, Microsoft and other tech giants join to combat fraud, misinformation about COVID-19

By Xite - March 17, 2020
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Technology giants Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube have released a joint statement in which they have pledged to stop the fraud, and misinformation related to Corona....

A few of the biggest technology companies, which include Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube, have joined hands to fight the ongoing fraud in the name of Coronavirus, and the misinformation being propagated about the epidemic. The company released a joint statement promising commitment to fight COVID-19 and keep the ‘communities healthy and safe’.

‘We are working closely together on COVID-19 response efforts. We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world. We invite other companies to join us as we work to keep our communities healthy and safe,’ the joint statement reads.

 

 

While the companies are already doing a lot in these times of crisis, there’s no information about the functioning of the group, or what it will do that they haven’t been doing till now. Google has been promoting ‘Do the Five’ campaign that raises awareness of simple measures people can take to slow the spread of the disease, according to the World Health Organization. It is also removing apps that spread misinformation about the epidemic.

 

 

Facebook is removing ads and other content from the platform that is spreading misinformation about COVID-19. YouTube is using the homepage to direct users to videos from the CDC or other locally relevant public health agencies. The platform is highlighting content from authoritative sources when people search for COVID-19. The video-hosting platform is also taking down videos related to dangerous or misleading coronavirus information.

Similarly, Twitter is also removing tweets that violate company’s policies by posting COVID-19-related misinformation. Recently, Microsoft launched a web portal for tracking Coronavirus infections worldwide. The map will let its visitors check the number of total cases, recovered cases and deaths by clicking on countries.

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  • Coronavirus
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