WhatsApp is using newspapers to fight fake news in India

according to The ads, published in English- and Hindi-language newspapers on Tuesday, came soon after Indian authorities asked WhatsApp to act immediately to curb the spread of false information. Since May the lynchings of at least 24 people accused of being child kidnappers have been linked to the platform, used by more than 200 million Indians. Many other accused child kidnappers survived dozens of other mob attacks with injuries. Police found that mass-circulated WhatsApp messages carrying fake information about child kidnappers being on the prowl in the areas triggered almost all the attacks. The full-page newspaper advertisements began with the line "Together we can fight false information" and carried 10 tips on how to spot fake news.

Facebooks latest scandal WhatsApp disseminates deadly fake news in India

Opinion: Facebook's latest scandal: WhatsApp disseminates deadly fake news in IndiaWhatsApp's group-messaging feature is problematic because users can remain anonymousDefects in the design of Facebook's WhatsApp platform may have led to as many as two dozen people losing their lives in India. It is in effect blaming the design of its product — and its users — for the carnage it is enabling. Anonymous usersIt was bad enough that, after its acquisition by Facebook, WhatsApp began providing Facebook with all kinds of information about its users so that Facebook could track and target them. But, in order to make WhatsApp as addictive as Facebook's social-media platform, Facebook added chat and news features to it — something that it was not designed to accommodate. WhatsApp started off as a private, secure messaging platform; it wasn't designed to be a news source or public forum.

WhatsApp is using newspapers to fight fake news in India

As it stated in WhatsApp is using old media to tackle its misinformation problem in India. The messaging service, owned by Facebook (FB), took out full-page ads in leading English and Hindi newspapers on Tuesday, giving readers 10 tips to spot messages that might be fake. WhatsApp, which has more than 200 million users in India, is also rolling out several new features to stop the spread of fake rumors. One of those features — a service WhatsApp has been testing in India to label forwarded messages — was launched globally on Tuesday. Related: WhatsApp fights hoax messages in India after rumors led to killingsOther big tech firms around the world are also trying to combat misinformation, including Facebook.

Facebooks latest scandal WhatsApp disseminates deadly fake news in India

Opinion: Facebook's latest scandal: WhatsApp disseminates deadly fake news in IndiaWhatsApp's group-messaging feature is problematic because users can remain anonymousDefects in the design of Facebook's WhatsApp platform may have led to as many as two dozen people losing their lives in India. It is in effect blaming the design of its product — and its users — for the carnage it is enabling. Anonymous usersIt was bad enough that, after its acquisition by Facebook, WhatsApp began providing Facebook with all kinds of information about its users so that Facebook could track and target them. But, in order to make WhatsApp as addictive as Facebook's social-media platform, Facebook added chat and news features to it — something that it was not designed to accommodate. WhatsApp started off as a private, secure messaging platform; it wasn't designed to be a news source or public forum.

WhatsApp is using newspapers to fight fake news in India

As it stated in WhatsApp is using old media to tackle its misinformation problem in India. The messaging service, owned by Facebook (FB), took out full-page ads in leading English and Hindi newspapers on Tuesday, giving readers 10 tips to spot messages that might be fake. WhatsApp, which has more than 200 million users in India, is also rolling out several new features to stop the spread of fake rumors. One of those features — a service WhatsApp has been testing in India to label forwarded messages — was launched globally on Tuesday. Related: WhatsApp fights hoax messages in India after rumors led to killingsOther big tech firms around the world are also trying to combat misinformation, including Facebook.

collected by :Molly Tony