INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Instagram is embracing its potential as a news source, employing its ubiquity to distribute coronavirus prevention techniques through a new
call-out at the top of its homescreen feed
In some countries, Instagram will show a link to information from the World Health Organization and local health ministries, along with a
message like this: &Help Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus: See the latest information from the World Health Organization so you can help
prevent the spread of COVID-19
— Go to who.int&.
An Instagram spokesperson tells TechCrunch that the notice will start appearing in countries that have seen significant
impact from the virus.
Additionally, Instagram is preventing users from searching for COVID-19-related augmented reality effects unless
they were made in partnership with legitimate health organizations
This could limit the spread of disinformation or insensitive jokes about the virus
Instagram was already sending false information to fact checkers and listing official health sources atop the search results for
coronavirus-related queries.
To help the company stay focused, Facebook is also shutting down the MSQRD app it acquired in 2016 to jumpstart
is AR face filters feature
MSQRD will become unavailable on April 13th, though its tech is already fully integrated into Facebook and Instagram.
Meanwhile, on
Snapchat, the company prohibits partners from sharing misinformation, relying on its closed platform to prevent the false news hoaxes that
have plagued open platforms like Facebook
Snapchat is also highlighting health information shared by its Discover partners, including NBC Stay Tuned, Sky News, The Wall Street
Journal, The Washington Post, CNN and NowThis
Those include (these links may only open to content on mobile):
Washington Post explained the proper way to wash your hands
WSJ looked at
how COVID-19 spread across the world
SkyNews Explains (UK) breaks down how to self-isolate
These are smart efforts by social platforms that
know they might get opened by more people more often than some traditional news sources
With over 1 billion monthly users on Instagram and over 200 million daily users on Snapchat, they have the power to spread vital information
and act as a new form of the emergency broadcast system.
