Facebook Inc. owned WhatsApp launched a new feature on Tuesday called ‘Fact-Check’ in India. The feature ensures to check the accuracy of information to fight against fake news In India ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections.
Messaging service platform has been working with a local startup called Proto to sort out the messages sent to the groups and to check whether it is true, false, or misleading. The company will build a database to interpret the misleading content in the groups to people.
The initiation by WhatsApp came as a strong comeback as it faces a lot of criticism for spreading of massive misinformation.
Facebook Inc on Monday said that it had deleted nearly 712 accounts and about 390 pages in India and as well Pakistan for “inauthentic behavior”.
The fact check’s new service dubbed Checkpoint Tipline is made avail in total five languages- English, Telugu, Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam. The service will hinder any misinformation that spreads through text, videos, and images. WhatsApp recently tested the reverse image search images to allow users to verify the authenticity.
Ritvvij Parrikh and Nasr ul Hadi, founders of Proto said, “The goal of this project is to study the misinformation phenomenon at scale.”. “As more data flows in, we will be able to identify the most susceptible or affected issues, locations, languages, regions, and more.”
WhatsApp added that “The challenge of viral misinformation requires more collaborative efforts and cannot be solved by any one organization alone.”
WhatsApp is working with Dig Deep Media and Meedan, two organizations that have contributed to the same sort of projects in other countries. Meedan’s Check platform was initially progressed to battle misinformation that spread during elections in France and Mexico and is now collaborated with WhatsApp.
