Instagram has announced the launch of two new features to help combat Covid-19 misinformation. Now, users in areas with surging cases will see a link to their local health authority at the top of their feed and anyone searching for vaccine information will also be directed to credible health sources.
These measures will be taken in addition to the social network blocking hashtags that contain vaccine misinformation, which also got a mention in announcement tweets.
The following features have been rolled out after several companies took steps to keep Coronavirus misinformation from spreading at a vital time for the US, as health institutions struggle with record hospitalisations and the first of the approved Covid-19 vaccines start to roll out.
Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, has also rolled out its own misinformation-combating feature, sending users notifications if they have interacted with posts that contain it.
YouTube has started adding cards below videos about the pandemic, linking to sources like the CDC and WHO, the same organisations that Instagram uses as examples. Twitter has also recently announced that it will be removing misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine.
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