(Photo Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)
Watch out for fake coronavirus cure claims
Facebook is on the hunt for fake claims about alleged “cures” and other unproven theories surrounding the coronavirus. As the virus continues to spread across the continents, more and more people are spreading chatter and misinformation online.
As a result, the company will “remove content with false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations and local health authorities that could cause harm to people who believe them,” according to a Facebook blog post published Thursday.
Kang-Xing Jin, Facebook’s head of health, mentioned how there has been a surge in “false cures or prevention methods” that are creating confusion and misguiding people when it comes to “health resources” that are already available.
Facebook s also increasing its facts-checking and monitoring efforts on Instagram. When people click on a hashtag related to the coronavirus, users will see a pop-up that will provide credible information.
So far, only select organizations are allowed to run free ads that will educate people about the virus. The social media site has also been boosting posts that follow health experts’ guidance.
Currently, more than 9,800 people around the world have been infected and more than 200 in mainland China have died from the virus. On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak “a public health emergency of international concern.”
