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May 7, 20203 min read

WhatsApp bot introduced to curb Coronavirus fake news: See how it works

Global Fact-Checking WhatsApp Chat Bot Introduced to Call Out Fake COVID-19 News


WhatsApp users will have to save the number +1 (727) 2912606 as a contact to begin using the International Fact-Checking Network chat bot.


IFCN WhatsApp chat bot is free to use, and offers help 24x7



HIGHLIGHTS

  • IFCN chat bot has data from more than 80 fact-checking organizations

  • Users can search for fact checks via the chat bot

  • It also offers fact-checkers list in your region


A new WhatsApp bot has been launched by the International Fact-Checking Network to curb the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. This chat bot is educated with 4,000 debunked hoaxes, and is able to easily check whether a piece of news about COVID-19 is false or not. This new service aims to help users identify fake news, and thereby prevent its spread. WhatsApp has already taken several measures to control this misinformation spread, and it recently even reduced the limit of spreading frequently forwarded messages. WhatApp claims there has been a 70 percent reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages, after this limit was enforced.


Coming back to the new IFCN WhatsApp chat bot, it is absolutely free to use, and WhatsApp users will have to save the number +1 (727) 2912606 as a contact to begin using the service. Once you save the number, send a ‘hi' to the bot, and wait for an automated message to come by. The bot throws a message that claims to offer service 24x7 in order to bust myths and check facts about COVID-19. Users are then asked to choose between several options –

  1. Search for fact checks 

  2. Latest fact checks 

  3. Tips to fight misinformation

  4. Find fact-checkers near me 

  5. About us

  6. Privacy

Type the number assigned to these options to navigate further. For instance, if you type 1, then the bot will ask you to send a short sentence related to the fact you want to check. If you've read rumours about garlic, type garlic or a short sentence like, ‘Does eating garlic cure coronavirus?' Once you enter your query, IFCN will look through its database to see all relevant claims surrounding the topic and present the top two results. Sending a ‘+' sign will offer two more search results.





WhatsApp launches IFCN chatbot to contain COVID-19 related misinformation and fake news 


WhatsApp launched a chatbot called the IFCN chatbot to curb the spread of misinformation, which is developed by the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).




HIGHLIGHTS

  • The messaging app recently launched a chatbot called the IFCN chatbot to curb the spread of misinformation

  • The chatbot is developed by the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).

  • The IFCN chatbot on WhatsApp will enable citizens from all over the world to verify content.

The Facebook-owned messaging app, WhatsApp, has really pulled up its socks in its fight against the spread of fake news. From limiting forwarded messages to working on a feature that would verify messages, WhatsApp is doing it all to stop fake news from being circulated on its platform. The messaging app recently launched a chatbot called the IFCN chatbot to curb the spread of misinformation, which is developed by the Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).


The IFCN chatbot on WhatsApp will enable citizens from all over the world to verify whether the message that they received about COVID-19 is true or not. Using the chatbot, the users can see whether that piece of information has been rated false by the professional fact-checker. Poynter institute revealed in a blog that fact-checkers from 74 countries have identified more than 4,000 false messages related to the COVID-19. The database is being updated regularly by the IFCN.


“Hundreds of millions of users rely on WhatsApp to stay in touch with their friends and families every day. Since bad actors use every single platform to disseminate falsehoods, to mislead others during such troubling times, fact-checkers’ work is more important than ever,” IFCN director Baybars Orsek said in a statement.


Here’s how users can activate the IFCN chatbot

— Save the number +1 (727) 2912606 and send a text “Hi” from WhatsApp to launch the chatbot.

—The other way of launching the chatbot is by simply clicking on poy.nu/ifcnbot to get started.


The chatbot is currently available in the English language only but it will soon be available in Hindi, Spanish and other languages.







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