San Francisco (AFP)
Google announced Thursday that it has allocated $ 6.5 million to fact-checking organizations around the world as false rumors and dangerous advice about the Covid-19 continue to spread over the internet.
Large digital platforms have multiplied announcements in recent weeks to show their commitment to reliable information and their support for confined populations.
Almost half of humans are being called upon to stay at home to stop the pandemic.
Journalists, analysts and fact-finding volunteers "have seen the demand for their work explode," said Alexios Mantzarlis of the Google News Lab during a briefing. "I spoke to a + fact-checker + Spanish who saw the needs multiplied by seven".
"People need to make decisions ... Can I go to such a place, should I keep my child at home ... We rely on the news, but also on his brother or close friends ( ...). The multitude of sources makes us more vulnerable, "he continues.
In addition to the funds, Google also plans to facilitate access to experts and databases for NGOs and journalists.
Two weeks ago, Facebook had for its part unveiled a partnership with the international fact-checking network (IFCN) of the Poynter Institute, an initiative in which AFP is participating.
This collaboration has a budget of $ 1 million to subsidize special new coronavirus fact-checking projects worldwide.
© 2020 AFP