WhatsApp Working With Reliance Jio To Curb Spread Of Fake News

New Delhi: Facebook owned WhatsApp is working in partnership with Reliance Jio to spread awareness regarding circulation of fake news and false messages. This move comes weeks after Jio opened up the messaging service to tens of millions of customers by introducing Jio phone 2.

WhatsApp spokesman Carl Woog told Reuters that WhatsApp is working closely with Jio to continue the education campaign for new WhatsApp users. As a part of this, all new users of the Jio Phone 2, many of whom are first time internet users, will get educational material informing them about spotting a forwarded WhatsApp message. Users will also be encouraged to share messages thoughtfully.

Rapid surge in cases related to mob violence and public beatings have forced the Central Government to take on the spread of false news through WhatsApp and other social media platforms. It was feared that deep-seated prejudices based on caste and religion, accompanied by the increasing affordability of cheap devices like Jio Phone and mobile data can aggravate the so-called fake news problem in rural and small town India.

Following instructions from the Indian Government, WhatsApp has already taken some steps to curb the rise of fake news. It has launched print and radio ad campaigns to educate users and introduced new features on the app including limiting message forwards as well as the labelling of forwarded messages.

The company, which is looking for a policy chief and India head is also thinking of expanding its education campaign to the existing Jio users in order to tackle fake news menace.

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