WhatsApp calls for checking coronavirus-related content
According to WhatsApp, the service is doing its best to combat viral misinformation. «In this regard, we have introduced several product changes and we also continue training efforts together with state agencies and civil society institutions across the world,» the spokesperson pointed out.
In particular, the messaging service has taken steps to restrict the number of times content can be forwarded to others as well as to label messages that have been shared. «We call on all users to check online reports before sharing them with others and turn to reliable and official sources for crucial information,» the spokesperson pointed out.
The press service of Russia’s VKontakte social network, in turn, said that moderators maintained constant monitoring, banning users and bot networks that share large numbers of identical reports. «We limit access to misleading information, particularly related to the coronavirus. Besides, we are working on information materials about the coronavirus together with the World Health Organization,» the press service specified.
In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. Coronavirus cases have also been reported in more than 80 countries and territories, including Russia.
According to the WHO, over 93,200 people have been infected with the virus across the world. The death toll has passed 2,900 in China, and over 160 people have died in other countries.
The WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency and named the virus COVID-19.