Twitter to verify more health experts to fight misinformation

This is likely to curb the spread of misinformation considering health experts will give more authentic and apt information, making more people aware about it.

Twitter’s move to verify health expert accounts is likely to curb the spread of misinformation considering health experts will give more authentic and apt information, making more people aware about it. (REUTERS)

Micro blogging website Twitter, in a bid to deliver more authentic information to users regarding coronavirus, is said to bring back public-facing verification requests specifically for health experts on the platform. This is likely to curb the spread of misinformation considering health experts will give more authentic and apt information, making more people aware about it.

Twitter's announcement comes right in a middle of the coronavirus outbreak. It is not the only social media platform to take such steps though. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google, Microsoft, Apple and others have already taken steps to make more people aware about it.

"PSA about what we're doing to Verify Twitter accounts that are providing credible updates around #COVID19: we are working with global public health authorities to identify experts and have already Verified hundreds of accounts, but there's more to do and we could use your help," the company tweeted on Saturday. 

PSA about what we're doing to Verify Twitter accounts that are providing credible updates around #COVID19: we are working with global public health authorities to identify experts and have already Verified hundreds of accounts, but there's more to do and we could use your help.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) March 21, 2020

Twitter has already started barring users from posting misleading information about COVID 19 including denials of expert guidance and encouragement of fake treatments, tightening its normally lax rules around speech, as per a report by Reuters.

The microblogging website will now place any misleading information as a violation to their policies. It has also mentioned some other examples (tweets) that it will consider as a violation. When a user makes a search about coronavirus on Twitter, he/she will also be shown links to WHO and the local health ministry website for more up to date information about the pandemic.