The Indian Election season is finally here and like every other social media platform, Whatsapp would also be a holy grail for fake news dispensers. Well, the Facebook-owned leading Instant Messaging giant doesn’t want this to happen. So, it has initiated a fact check service to counter fake news.
Whatsapp Tipline: How does it work?
WhatsApp is partnering with an Indian startup PROTO to develop a database of rumors to catch misinformation and fake news. You could send messages to Checkpoint Tipline service number +919643000888. Proto’s verification center will scan and verify the messages with their database and thereafter categorize them as true, false, misleading or disputed.
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They would be reviewing rumors in different formats like image, videos, links, and text. Currently, the languages covered by it are English and four other regional languages viz. Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Bengali. Proto would also work alongside grassroots organizations from every nook and corner of India during the election period to improve the tipline service. Even international bodies like Dig Deeper Media and Meedan would contribute towards developing the verification and research frameworks for India.
Lately, Whatsapp has been updating the app with security-focused features like limited forwarding, clearly labeled ‘Forwarded’ messages, etc. Upcoming updates could mark messages forwarded more than four times as “frequently forwarded”. Besides, there are leaks and rumors of fingerprint authentication, Dark mode, etc too.
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Ever since the Facebook scandal and the infamous US elections, Facebook and every other tech juggernauts are under the legislative and public scrutiny. Only time will tell whether the current and coming measures do the trick in case of the Indian subcontinent. What do you think? Let us know down in the comments section.
