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Steps to curb election misinformation on WhatsApp
Posted on: 02/Apr/2019 3:50:16 PM
WhatsApp comes up with new tipline owing to general elections in 2019. With that, all kind of irrelevant or uncertain information pertaining to general elections can be reported at the Checkpoint Tipline at the number +91-9643-000-888.
PROTO, an Indian start-up has kick-started this initiative in order to track down misinformation and illegitimate data about elections.
How is the tracking done?
WhatsApp has rolled out a statement in this regard as to how the authenticity of information is tracked. Accordingly, it is said that in case of any suspicious messages shared through WhatsApp platform with tipline, the verification centre at PROTO will request for response from the respective user whether the message is authentic or not. The user’s response will verify whether the message, video or image thus shared is true or not. In addition, the verification will also be done in regional languages including Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam and Hindi.
To aid PROTO in this regard, WhatsApp and Dig Deep Media and Meedan have joined hands together similar to their earlier projects in other countries. Meedan, to note, has widened its platform to encompass France and Mexico along with WhatsApp Business API. This is to cope with the large volume of messaging content.
In a statement in this regard from PROTO, its founders Ritvvij Parrikh and Nasr ul Hadi say the project mainly aims at analyzing misinformation phenomenon on WhatsApp. With heavy volume of data flow, it is tough to filter out the suspicious messages across languages and regions. We shall send out verification reports in order to work out things at grassroots level.
There are also plans to send out the learnings to the International Centre for journalists for aiding organizations as to how the project is designed and operated.
This initiative by WhatsApp will aid the Indian government by curbing spreading of misinformation. For reducing fake news in the same way, there were a few steps already taken such as limiting forwarded messages and labelling them.
