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Showing posts from April, 2019

WhatsApp launches fact-check service to fight fake news in India

WhatsApp has announced in a statement that it is working with Indian startup PROTO to build a database of rumors to study misinformation during the upcoming election period in India. This database will be complemented by a “tipline” wherein users can submit messages in order to have it classified as true, false, misleading or disputed. WhatsApp users in India can submit uncertain information and rumors they receive to  +919643000888 , a service called “Checkpoint Tipline”. Once the message is received by the tipline, Proto’s verification center will attempt to respond and inform the user if the claim made in the message is verified or not. The response will indicate if information is classified as true, false, misleading, disputed or out of scope and include any other related information that is available. The center can review rumors in the form of picture, video links and text. It can cover English and four other regional languages (Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam). Prot