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Facebook, WHO launches new campaign against COVID-19 misinformation

Facebook in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to launch a new campaign against misinformation across Africa.

This was contained in a press release on Monday, March 5, 2021, by APO group on behalf of Facebook.

This campaign titled “Together Against Covid-19 Misinformation” will be rolled out in English and French, and will cut across 10 African countries.

These countries are; South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and DRC.

“Today, across a number of African countries, Facebook is launching a new campaign in partnership with the WHO called ‘Together Against Covid-19 Misinformation’. The campaign will roll out to people in English and French across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and DRC” the press release reads.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Facebook has been working to connect people to accurate information and reduce misinformation on its platforms. 

Last month Facebook announced the biggest worldwide campaign to promote authoritative information about Covid-19 vaccines

This new campaign with the WHO is programmed to show up on Facebook through a series of graphics with tips on how to spot false news. 

Aïda Ndiaye, the Public Policy Manager, was quoted in the press release as saying their duty is to ensure users get the right information about COVID-19 vaccines.

“Ensuring users are getting authoritative information about Covid-19 vaccines is just some of the vital work we’re doing here at Facebook. During the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, we’ll continue working with industry experts and people on our platforms to ensure we’re aggressively tackling misinformation, and giving people additional resources to scrutinize content they see online, helping them decide what to read, trust and share” he said.

Also, as part of the campaign, Facebook will launch a dedicated website in English and French, which will include information on how it is tackling misinformation on its platforms. 

This, Facebook said, will give people more transparency around their Remove, Reduce and Inform strategy, by outlining its community standards, and sharing the steps it is taking to combat false news around global events such as Covid-19, elections and climate change.

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