Facebook to redirect people who like false coronavirus info to WHO website
Facebook is taking a small step to stop the spread of coronavirus misinformation.
The company announced a new anti-misinformation measure it's taking in a company blog post on Thursday morning. Any user who likes or otherwise interacts with material that Facebook has deemed harmful enough to delete from the site will be encouraged to check out the World Health Organization's coronavirus myth-busting site.
It's not a mind-blowing measure by any means, and it starts to sound less effective once you look at the finer details. Facebook's blog post talks about the dozens of fact-checking organizations the site works with to review content on the site and put warning labels on debunked articles. Only content that encourages "imminent physical harm," such as posts advocating for phony coronavirus remedies or preventatives, are removed.
The blog post makes it seem like only users who interact with posts removed by Facebook will see the warning, as opposed those who just see a post with a warning label. Since it's theoretically possible for a post to spread dangerous lies about the virus without necessarily encouraging "imminent physical harm," some folks who need to see the WHO's page might not be directed toward it.
Facebook confirmed as much to Mashable, with a spokesperson telling us in an email that only users who interact with posts removed for promoting physical harm will get the notice. Those who have shared or attempt to share something with a warning label will get a separate notification.
It's not the first policy change Facebook has made during the pandemic. Educational materials from various health authorities have shown up on News Feed for a few weeks, while the company has given a little bit of money to the journalism industry in a time when facts are vital. Still, given the prominence of misinformation on the platform, it might be reasonable to implement more aggressive measures.
UPDATE: April 16, 2020, 2:39 p.m. EDT Added clarification from Facebook on how the policy works.
Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.
