WhatsApp Designing Digital Literacy Program to Cut Out Fake News
In the last one year, fake news spread by WhatsApp has led to more thantwo dozen incidents of mob lynchingand other forms of violence, many of which ended up in the death of innocent victims. To control this social crisis, the Facebook-owned company is now pledging to make its platform free from fake news.
WhatsApp is nowpartnering with at least seven institutions to spread awarenessabout the dangers of fake news and to increase digital literacy. This initiative isaimed at teaching users how to spot fake newsand contribute their bit in preventing the spread ofmisinformation.
Apart from these efforts, WhatsApp is alsoworking with various educational bodiesto create and popularize a curriculum to inform students of all grades about the challenges which come into being due to fake news or any other form of false information. “We are now working with experts in India to help grow our digital literacy efforts that will educate people about fake news and how to stay safe on WhatsApp,” a company spokesperson told PTI.
WhatsApp has been at the center of a controversy related to multiple brutal mob lynching and something that is turning into a social catastrophe. These messages target emotions like nationalism, or lack of safety, which are used toinstigate and mobilize people.
The Indian government had recently expressed its discomfort with the issue and is not convinced by the efforts put in by the company. The IT Ministry islikely to reach out to the companyto express its uneasiness.
WhatsApp, on the other hand, had said that it has launched a bunch of new safety features includinglabeling of forwarded messagesand giving adminsgreater control over groupswithin the app. It has taken the effort to publish advertisements in leading dailies about the steps to spot and counter fake news.
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