Meta Partners with PTI to Expand Fact-Checking Program in India

• ByStartupStory     |    April 2, 2024

In a concerted effort to combat misinformation and ensure the dissemination of accurate information across its platforms, social media giant Meta has joined forces with the Press Trust of India (PTI) as part of its third-party fact-checking program in India.

Announcing the collaboration on Monday, Meta highlighted the significance of this partnership in bolstering fact-checking efforts in the country. “With this partnership with PTI, we now have 12 fact-checking partners in India, making it the country with the most third-party fact-checking partners globally across Meta,” stated the company.

Under this initiative, Meta works closely with certified fact-checkers from the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to identify, review, and rate potentially misleading content circulating on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. When content is flagged as false, altered, or partly false, Meta takes action to limit its distribution and alerts users to its veracity.

“We notify people who try to share the content—or who previously shared it—that the information was rated by a fact-checker, and we add a warning label that links to the fact-checker’s article with more information about the claim,” Meta explained in a press release.

With nearly 100 partners worldwide covering over 60 languages, Meta’s fact-checking program is a crucial component of its efforts to curb the spread of misinformation. In India, fact-checking partners are equipped to verify information across 16 languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu, and others.

“The focus of the programme is to address viral misinformation, particularly clear hoaxes that have no basis in fact. Fact-checking partners prioritise provably false claims that are timely, trending, and consequential,” Meta emphasized.

This collaboration with PTI comes as part of Meta’s broader strategy to combat misinformation, especially in the lead-up to significant events such as the Indian general elections. Last month, Meta partnered with the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA) to launch a dedicated fact-checking helpline on WhatsApp aimed at identifying and mitigating the impact of deepfakes and deceptive AI-generated content.

The fact-checking helpline, now operational on the Meta-owned messaging platform, empowers users to flag potentially misleading content, thereby contributing to a safer online environment.

Meta’s commitment to fostering transparency and combating misinformation underscores its dedication to ensuring the integrity of information shared across its platforms. Through strategic partnerships like the one with PTI, Meta continues to uphold its responsibility in promoting accurate and reliable information online.

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