Technology 3 min read

Silicon Valley Tech Giants Join Hands to Fight COVID-19 Misinformation

Lightspring / Shutterstock.com

Lightspring / Shutterstock.com

On Monday, Silicon Valley tech giants Google, Microsoft, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and LinkedIn announced that they had joined hands to fight fraud and misinformation about COVID-19.

In a joint statement released via Twitter, the seven major players in the tech world urged other companies to join their fight.

“We are working closely together on COVID-19 response efforts,” the statement read. “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 coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.”

“We invite other companies to join us as we work to keep our communities healthy and safe.”

None of the Silicon Valley tech giants have released any official statement yet about what they’re committing to do or if there will be changes in their existing policies. But one thing is clear — the Internet is now littered with fake news about the coronavirus pandemic.

Silicon Valley Tech Giants: Fighting to Eliminate False Information

Since the coronavirus pandemic made international headlines in January, countless rumors and hoaxes regarding its origin and cure circulated online.

In the past weeks, several posts on social media gained traction for spreading home-made remedies for COVID-19. For instance, a viral post that was shared on different online platforms noted that water and heat could “kill” coronavirus.

People behind the said posts claimed that the advice came from world-renowned institutions like Stanford University and Shenzhen Hospital in China. The tips include killing the virus via exposure to temperatures of about 26 degrees Celsius.

Also, the posts emphasized the importance of drinking water.

fake coronavirus cure
A viral post that circulated on Facebook and other social media channels. It claims that heat and drinking water can kill coronavirus. | Image screenshot from Facebook

But, multiple experts in infectious diseases have debunked the claims. Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University said in an interview:

“We always caution anyone healthy and people who are sick to keep up fluid intake and keep mucus membranes moist. It makes you feel better, but there is no clear indication that it directly protects you against complications.”

As the coronavirus continues to spread, more people are attempting to appease the public’s growing paranoia by circulating false information. However, the situation only worsened as people with symptoms refuse to seek medical attention, choosing instead to self-medicate.

Facebook and other Internet companies, together with medical experts, remind the public to stay vigilant amid the COVID-19 crisis. Rely only on information released by the CDC, the World Health Organization, and other health authorities.

Read More: Hackers Are Creating Fake Coronavirus Maps To Spread Malware

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Chelle Fuertes

Chelle is the Product Management Lead at INK. She's an experienced SEO professional as well as UX researcher and designer. She enjoys traveling and spending time anywhere near the sea with her family and friends.

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