The World Health Organization has joined TikTok after increasing spread of misinformation online. The UN public health agency has partnered with several social media platforms to tackle the issue.
WHO joined TikTok on Friday and posted the first video with the description: "We are joining @tiktok to provide you with reliable and timely public health advice! Our first post: How to protect yourself from the #coronavirus."
The first video posted by the organisation had Benedetta Allegranzi, technical lead of infection prevention and control, talk about the ways in which people can protect themselves. She is seen providing information related to coronavirus and asking netizens to go to the WHO website for any additional information.
What are social networking sites doing to control the situation?
Apart from joining hands with the UN health agency, social media has been trying to tackle the misinformation as well. The outlets have been addressing false information by posting links to the actual website where netizens can connect to the right information.
Most social media websites have worked to ban hateful comments and other forms of defamatory information as soon as WHO declared coronavirus an emergency.
Facebook is said to be removing false information and theories from the platform. Twitter has also taken strict measures asking users if the information is credible. TikTok and YouTube have added a link to the WHO website.
Fake videos and pranks
Several people have been taking the situation lightly and posting prank Covid-19 videos online. Misinformation has become a priority because it spreads panic among the public. TikTok has a large user base around the world and it is this platform that is being used for posting prank videos.
The social media platforms are flooded with videos in which people claim that they were infected by coronavirus in a public space or did something disgusting like licking the food placed on display in a store.
One video a few weeks ago showed two teenagers in a hazmat suit carrying KoolAid on the subway. The teenagers then proceeded to say that they were carrying the virus in the box and went on to spill the drink on the floor creating panic while the ride was underway.
The public is yet to fathom the gravity of such pranks.
People are not aware of preventive measures that the Center for Disease Control and WHO have taken to address the issues of fear. WHO believes that posting reliable content would reduce the fear factor.
