Facebook Warns Users Before They Share COVID-19 Articles

We are learning more about the coronavirus with each passing day, but there is actually still a lot that we do not know. For example, people who have recovered from the virus are still not necessarily back to 100% health, with many still feeling the side effects. Given our lack of knowledge, it can be easy to simply share articles related to the coronavirus that might not necessarily be 100% accurate or true.

This is why Facebook has announced that they will now be warning users whenever they share an article related to COVID-19. Facebook will not stop users from sharing what they want, but they will prompt users and give them more information about the article they’re about to share, like its source, when it was first shared, and so on.

According to Facebook, “The notification will help people understand the recency and source of the content before they share it. It will also direct people to our COVID-19 Information Center to ensure people have access to credible information about COVID-19 from global health authorities.”

Hopefully this prompt will give users some pause before they simply share an article that may not have come from a credible source or might be outdated. Facebook also notes that articles shared from more credible sources and recognized organizations like government agencies or the WHO will not have this prompt.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Coronavirus, covid-19, Facebook