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The international group of data verifiers launches a WhatsApp bot that destroys myths and allows users to consult terms such as “masks” to obtain reliable information about the coronavirus
- The bot is designed by the International Network of Data Verifiers of the Poynter Institute
- It can be consulted by WhatsApp users and extracted from the IFCN database
- IFCN Chatbot also directs users to their local fact-checking organization
- Currently only available in English, but will be released in other languages
- Here we show you how to help people affected by Covid-19
Data verifiers turn to WhatsApp to help ensure that people receive reliable information about COVID-19.
The Poynter Institute’s International Fact Checker Network (IFCN) said it will launch a bot on the popular WhatsApp messaging service that allows users to query terms such as “masks” or “coronavirus symptoms.”
The bot is designed to extract from the ‘translated work of more than 80 fact-checking organizations worldwide’ and you can use that information to determine whether the content has been deemed false by fact-checkers.
The IFCN chatbot will be drawn from a database that has identified more than 4,000 coronavirus hoaxes according to the organization.
Specifically, a bot will be pulled from IFCN’s CoronaVirusFacts database, which, with the help of fact-checkers from 74 countries around the world, has identified more than 4,000 coronavirus hoaxes according to the organization.
The inclusion of a reputable data verification bot on WhatsApp makes senes take into account the popularity of the platform.
WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, reached two billion users in 2020.
“Hundreds of millions of users trust WhatsApp to keep in touch with their friends and family every day,” said IFCN director Baybars Orsek.
“Since bad actors use each platform to spread falsehoods and deceive others in such difficult times, the work of fact-checkers is more important than ever.”
In addition to helping users find reliable information, the IFCN says it will also give users a directory of reputable fact-checking organizations.
“The system is able to identify the user’s country through the mobile country code and then share the closest fact-checking organizations,” said the IFCN.
According to the IFCN, the chatbot will initially only be available in English, but the organizations plan to implement other languages, including Hindi and Spanish. He said “additional functionality” will also follow soon.
