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Twitter Fake Tweets Removed!
Twitter are cracking down on fake tweets during the coronavirus outbreak. Tweets with promote fake treatments or deny expert guidance will be marked as harmful. Then removed. Content like this could place people at a high risk and contravene it’s safety rules
Furthermore this could include claims that specific groups are more susceptible of contracting COVID-19. While posting unverified claims that incite people to action and cause widespread panic. Plus posting about harmful or non harmful treatments which are ineffective.
‘We will enforce this in close coordination with trusted partners, including public health authorities and governments, and continue to use and consult with information from those sources when reviewing content.’ Twitter post on it’s website
This follows announcements from various video social media sites, such as Facebook, Google, LinkedIN and Reddit, who are committed to work together. Alongside governments in response to the pandemic.
Social Media
In a joint statement, they said they’d work to help people stay connected during the isolation. Furthermore fighting any misinformation and fraud linked to the outbreak.
‘We are working closely together on Covid-19 response efforts,’ the statement said. ‘We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in co-ordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.’
Social media sites and search engines have placed official guidance on their sites. From the NHS and World Health Organisation at the top of search results. Other platforms are also removing any misinformation linked to coronavirus which is either flagged or spotted by them.
Other platforms have also pledged to work quickly to remove any misinformation. Which is linked to the virus which is flagged to or spotted by them .
(Metro)
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HOW TO: Spot Fake News (Via Facebook)
Facebook have detailed their top 10 tips to Spot Fake News:
- Be skeptical of headlines. False news stories often have catchy headlines in all caps with exclamation points. If shocking claims in the headline sound unbelievable, they probably are.
- Look closely at the URL. A phony or look-alike URL may be a warning sign of false news. Many false news sites mimic authentic news sources by making small changes to the URL. You can go to the site to compare the URL to established sources.
- Investigate the source. Ensure that the story is written by a source that you trust with a reputation for accuracy. If the story comes from an unfamiliar organization, check their “About” section to learn more.
- Watch for unusual formatting. Many false news sites have misspellings or awkward layouts. Read carefully if you see these signs.
- Consider the photos. False news stories often contain manipulated images or videos. Sometimes the photo may be authentic, but taken out of context. You can search for the photo or image to verify where it came from.
- Inspect the dates. False news stories may contain timelines that make no sense, or event dates that have been altered.
- Check the evidence. Check the author’s sources to confirm that they are accurate. Lack of evidence or reliance on unnamed experts may indicate a false news story.
- Look at other reports. If no other news source is reporting the same story, it may indicate that the story is false. If the story is reported by multiple sources you trust, it’s more likely to be true.
- Is the story a joke? Sometimes false news stories can be hard to distinguish from humor or satire. Check whether the source is known for parody, and whether the story’s details and tone suggest it may be just for fun.
- Some stories are intentionally false. Think critically about the stories you read, and only share news that you know to be credible.
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Google Teaching Kids About Fake News
Google is taking a lot of time to tackle fake news and one of the ways that they are going to be undertaking this task it by teaching kids aged 13-18 years old via a series of workshops called Internet Citizens. It has been designed by experts from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, UK Youth and Livity, whilst Google has an advisory council which includes Metropilitan Police and thinktank Demos.
According to Google:
“The workshops will help young people find a positive sense of belonging online and teach skills on how to participate safely and responsibly, and use tools such as flagging and comment moderation to make the web better for all. Some of the specific topics include what could be done in response to offensive speech, fake news, echo chambers and how they could use video to bring diverse groups together.”
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@SavedYouAClick fighting Fake News!
If you weren’t aware of Twitters ‘@SavedYouAClick’ account, the account says what it does on the tin and “Saves You A Click” from click baiting headlines and URL’s in a quick snappy headline.
The person behind this god like account, Jack Beckman, is now fighting against the next worst thing on the internet, ‘Fake News’ In an age where ‘Fake News’ can account for a candidate winning the Presidency of the United States we need someone to filter out the fake from the truth and Beckman is here to help with that. As a whole news media is arguably broken, fake news spreads like wildfire (if done well) and across multiple platforms, be that questionable Facebook pages and websites designed to look exactly like a reputable news outlet.
Beckman has created a new Twitter page, a sister page if you will “@SavedYouATrick” designed to tackle fake news and he has already began debunking a bunch of fake news articles and sites, many of which are either intentionally misleading or outright wrong – however, Beckman will not be touching satire news articles and sites.
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