Facebook fights fake news with new Covid-19 information center

Facebook has launched a coronavirus and Covid-19 information hub, which will provide a central resource for people to get the latest news and information, along with advice to help users stay healthy and support their family and community.

The new hub will appear at the top of a user’s News Feed, and is designed to offer reliable official information about the pandemic. It will deliver real-time updates from national health authorities and global organizations, such as the World Health Organization, and people can receive updates from health authorities directly by following the channel.

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Users can also find helpful articles, videos and posts that explain how social distancing works, with the aim of helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19. In the US, people can use the information center to connect with local groups if they need assistance or wish to offer support to others within their community.

Fighting fake news

Reliable information is more crucial than ever in the midst of a global pandemic, and  Facebook clearly wants to be seen to be doing its part to stem the tide of misinformation and fake news. 

The company has also vowed to ban ads and commercial listings for masks, hand sanitizer, surface disinfecting wipes and Covid-19 testing kits. Organic posts listing these items will also be removed. 

Facebook’s new service will expand to more countries in the coming days, but has already rolled out in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the US.

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Via Facebook