FB to fight COVID-19 misinformation in Sri Lanka

By Easwaran Rutnam  

Facebook is taking on misinformation being spread via its social media network on coronavirus, officials said.  

The global social media giant is working with AFP and fact Crescendo in Sri Lanka to debunk false claims.  
Several Facebook posts have been popping up these days spreading misinformation or unverified information related to the coronavirus. Messages of hate targeting particular communities or groups have also been seen on Facebook during the crisis.  

Senura Abeywardena, Facebook’s Public Policy Manager for Sri Lanka, responding to a question posed by Daily Mirror during a live online discussion yesterday, said that when something is flagged as misinformation, the post will be shared to a fact checker. 

The fact checker is at liberty to read the information and rate it, and if it is rated as false, the distribution of that Facebook post will be reduced.  

However, he said that the time it takes to pull down a post with misinformation could vary as the process is complicated. Abeywardena also said that if there is a valid legal order to block a particular user for spreading misinformation then Facebook will act on it.    

• When something is flagged as misinformation, the post will be shared to a fact checker