Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Instagram Placed A Disclaimer For People Searching The #Coronavirus Hashtag To Reduce Misinformation

Instagram Placed A Disclaimer For People Searching The #Coronavirus Hashtag To Reduce Misinformation

Facebook has also said it would conduct "proactive sweeps" in order to remove or block hashtags spreading misinformation on Instagram.
When users click into the #coronavirus hashtag on Instagram, they will now see a notice encouraging them to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for credible information about the virus.

Instagram officially implemented the update on Sunday after parent company Facebook first announced plans to combat misinformation about the virus two weeks ago.

"When people ... tap a related hashtag on Instagram, we will surface an educational pop-up with credible information," Facebook said.

A company spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Tuesday that the CDC warning was part of an effort to "help reduce the spread of information that could put people in harm's way."

Facebook has also said it would conduct "proactive sweeps" in order to remove or block hashtags spreading misinformation on Instagram. It did not say what hashtags have been removed, if any.

The CDC warning follows initiatives taken by other giant social media platforms, like Pinterest, who also placed a disclaimer above pins and hashtags related to the coronavirus.

BuzzFeed News first encountered Instagram's change when clicking across this Instagram post with the #coronavirus hashtag from a German fitness influencer vacationing in Thailand.

@Fitnessoskar shared a photo of him and his partner kissing in matching face masks, writing, in German, that while they're not afraid of the virus, they're still wearing masks for self-protection. He said he's been getting a lot of questions about whether or not he's fearful about the virus while he's in Phuket, Thailand. He ends his long caption by asking his fans to share their thoughts and opinions on the virus in the comments.

The post is hashtagged with a few things, including #kiss and #coronavirus.

Along with explicit misinformation and directly dangerous content that's being shared about the virus on social media, the hashtag also attracts memes and insensitive jokes.

As happens with any global crises nowadays, a handful of opportune users are also hashtagging #coronavirus for personal content and other self-interest values, like clout.

However, the priority for Facebook and Instagram seems to be posts with overt misinformation.

In addition to the disclaimer, the company said it has offered free advertising credits to health organizations who want to run educational ads about the coronavirus on its platforms, and that it's "closely coordinating" with these organizations to provide "accurate information about the situation."

Large social media companies have come under scrutiny over the years for enabling, or being slow to take action against, misinformed health-related content.

Many false or false posts have spread on Facebook in relation to the coronavirus.

As YouTube and Facebook are trying to crack down on fake and unverified content, among 500 of the most-watched videos featuring the keyword “coronavirus" that BuzzFeed News watched, dozens of videos included unconfirmed or made-up facts. The questionable YouTube videos then are shared to Facebook, where they rapidly go viral.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×