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There has been a lot of speculation that the Kenyan who first tested positive for Coronavirus may or may not have had the virus at all. There have been videos and tweets in a debate over this and we are not sure who to trust. Snapchat and Instagram have stepped up to try and curb misinformation about Coronavirus.
Instagram and Snapchat are not known for their potential as new sources. It’s mostly about entertainment. As compared to Twitter that is. However, with the rise of the pandemic that is Coronavirus, they’ve had to step up. They’ve taken some precautionary measures to distribute Coronavirus prevention techniques.
Instagram and Snapchat vs Coronavirus
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The company is fighting disinformation by hiding coronavirus-related augmented reality effects. This is of course unless they were made with help from established health organizations.
Instagram already fact-checks false information about coronavirus. They also list official health sources at the top of search results.
Specifically, Instagram will place a prompt at the top of your feed with a link to information from the World Health Organization (WHO). These prompts will appear “in counties that have seen significant impact from the virus,” according to TechCrunch.
Snapchat
Meanwhile, Snapchat prohibits partners from sharing misinformation. They are relying on its closed platform to prevent the false news hoaxes that have plagued open platforms like Facebook. Snapchat is also highlighting health information shared by its Discover partners. For example:
- Washington Post explained the proper way to wash your hands
- WSJ looked at how COVID-19 spread across the world
- SkyNews Explains (UK) breaks down how to self-isolate
The Importance of Verified Information
The spread of Coronavirus is being slowly accredited to misinformation and fake news. That’s why major companies like Instagram and Snapchat are fighting Coronavirus as best they can. If we follow the guidelines and keep track of the virus, taking into consideration aspects like social distancing, we will be able to fight this pandemic.
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