📰 Facebook Will Warn Users Who 'Liked' Coronavirus Hoaxes

The Associated Press reports that soon Facebook will start warning users who "shared or interacted with dangerous coronavirus misinformation": The new notice will be sent to users who have clicked on, reacted to, or commented on posts featuring harmful or false claims about COVID-19 after they have been removed by moderators. The alert, which will start appearing on Facebook in the coming weeks, will direct users to a site where the World Health Organization lists and debunks virus myths and rumors... Facebook disclosed Thursday that it put more than 40 million warning labels in March over videos, posts or articles about the coronavirus that fact-checking organizations have determined are false or misleading... Facebook says those warning labels have stopped 95% of users from clicking on the false information. "It's a big indicator that people are trusting the fact checkers," said Baybars Orsek, the director of the International Fact-Checking Network. "The label has an impact on people's information consumption." Google and Twitter have also joined Facebook in altering algorithms to stop the spread of online misinformation, according to the article, but "Challenges remain. Tech platforms have sent home human moderators who police the platforms, forcing them to rely on automated systems to take down harmful content. "They are also up against people's mistrust of authoritative sources for information, such as the WHO."

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