Facebook's new notification screen to warn users before sharing COVID-19 related links

Social media and technology giant Facebook is all set to introduce a new pop-up notification screen for users in an effort to curb the spread of misinformation around COVID-19. With the help of this feature, users will be warned of any links or articles related to the virus that they share online.

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Facebook notification screen – How it works?

The notification will give the user more details about the link or the article, along with its original source, before redirecting them to the COVID-19 Information Center. This is where users will be able to get authentic information on the novel coronavirus from global health organisations.

Facebook also released a statement saying that the company is starting to roll out the new global notification screen to allow users more context about the links and sources related to the novel coronavirus before they share them with others online.

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Apart from the main source, users will get details on the recency of the content that they’re sharing. The social networking platform also added that the feature will help people make informed decisions and help them understand the links that they are sharing on the social networking sites about the virus.

Facebook also revealed that any recognised global health organisations such as the World Health Organization or government health organizations will not see the pop-up notification screen when sharing any information with the public.

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The Facebook pop-up notification will appear when you open an article or any link and tap the share button. If the article is fairly old, the pop-up will appear on the screen and offer you the context. However, you can still avoid the warning and proceed to share it with others if you find it genuine. The Facebook notification screen is not available to all users right now. The company will likely roll out the feature in a phased manner.

The social networking platform recently revealed that it removed more than 7 million posts related to coronavirus that were fake. These included posts that discussed false preventative measures and cures.

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Image credits: mrthetrain | Unsplash