As the spread of the novel Coronavirus continues to rise, many social media platforms are trying to help users get the most relevant information on the web. Facebook-owned Instagram recently announced that they are taking necessary steps that would lead users to credible sources for information on the COVID-19.
With numerous tweets from “Instagram Comms”, the picture-sharing platform announced that they are battling to remove any misinformation about the virus to keep the community safe and updated. With this change, when any user searches for information on the widely spread Coronavirus, the platform would lead them to sources like the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and any local health authorities.
We’re removing known harmful misinformation related to COVID-19, and when someone taps on a hashtag related to COVID-19, we show resources from @WHO, @CDC and local health authorities. pic.twitter.com/Dw2Y8ZwfaI
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) March 6, 2020
So, now when you search for “Coronavirus” on Instagram and tap #coronavirus, a pop-up window comes up with the heading “Looking for coronavirus info?”. This pop-up includes the link to the official website of the World Health Organisation (WHO). You can tap “Go to who.int” and it will directly lead you to the WHO site for the latest updates.
Instagram also said in one of the tweets that they will be fact-checking each post containing potential misinformation about the virus. They will also block/remove any post or hashtag that contains any misleading info about COVID-19.
Finally, we’re thinking through a longer term solution to help connect people searching COVID-19 related terms with credible information. In the meantime, we’re showing the accounts of leading health organizations in these searches to better connect people to credible resources. pic.twitter.com/RUNwJh94Cf
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) March 6, 2020
This change is meant to provide the most credible and relevant information to the users. It will also prevent users to get their hands on any misinformation about the virus and curb the spread of the same on the web. The platform also said that they are thinking of a longer-term solution to provide users with the right info. However, as of now, when you search for COVID-19 or Coronavirus on the platform, it will lead you the accounts of WHO, UNICEF and CDC.
