Translated material
50 million fake posts about coronavirus. How do social networks protect users from false information?
Media consumption during the pandemic is growing, and with it the responsibility of social networks and search engines. In the press services of Google, VKontakte, Facebook and Odnoklassniki, they told such matters as the work, entertainment, informing and protecting users from fake news during quarantine.
Photo: Mohammad Fahim / Unsplash.comUser activity is growing
During self -isolation, social networks and search engines became more in demand than in the usual time. For example, the number of messages sent on VKontakte increased by 20%, the daily audience of mini-applications-by 260%, and the audience of the gaming platform-by 15%compared with the period to quarantine.
“In the current situation, users spend significantly more time on social networks: from 2019, by 2020, the average time has grown both in Android (+24%) and in iOS-application (+9%). The growth of the time in the iOS-up for the last two weeks of March exceeded the city aid and amounted to 12.7%, the press service of Odnoklassniki reports. - In addition, users for self -isolation began to consume much more content. The number of watches in the news tape has grown by 14%. ”
The growth of activity is also reported in the press service of Google Russia: from February to April, the number of requests with the word “Koronavirus” from desktopes in the Google search engine has grown more than 70 times.
How fakes detect
In a situation where the news is related to health, the issue of Internet security is especially acute. Along with the demand for information about Covid-19, Google security systems record 240 million daily spam-regime about coronavirus, as well as many fraudulent sites disguised under the pages of social networks or healthcare organizations, the official blog “Google Russia” says . In April, Facebook discovered 50 million fake posts about coronavirus .
In April, the VKontakte team deleted more than 800 thousand of the same type of entries in communities and spam newsletters on coronavirus. “We are doing our best to protect people from unjustified panic because of fake news, and at the same time create a space to discuss and express a personal position,” the social network press service explains. - We are constantly monitoring dangerous content and blocking users and chains of bots that arrange mass mailings. We limit access to materials that are misleading, and also quickly respond to user and regulators signals. ”
The head of the Google Russia communications department, Ekaterina Kondratyeva, says that youtube delete videos that violate their rules, call on to refuse medical care or declare that harmful substances are good for health.
“Experts and certified experts around the world cut off part of the rollers and make recommendations for further verification using machine learning algorithms. The system automatically filters suspicious content and sends it for verification to specialists. In the USA, on YouTube, we raise materials from authoritative sources in the search and recommendations, and in Russia we show them in information panels , ”she explains.
Facebook also addresses the help of experts - the social network supports commands that check information for reliability. In 2019, Facebook invested $ 300 million, and after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, an additional $ 100 million. "Classmates" are connected to verify the publications of specialists from Rospotrebnadzor.
“Together, we regularly monitor the popularity of publication and check them for the reliability of facts,” the press service of “Odnoklassniki” reports. - If an obvious fake spreads - like the fact that adding pepper to the soup protects from coronavirus - we limit users access to such material. If we are talking about unconfirmed, but also not refuted information, the information remains on the social network. ”
User protection measures relate to advertising. So, ads in Google, specify on the Covid-19 topic, are blocked; Instagram prohibits the advertising of medical masks, sanitizers, disinfectant napkins and test assets for the definition of the Covid-19 .
Where to look for proven information about Covid-19
Google Search
For quick access to the main news, you can contact a SOS-improving or site with information from the World Health Organization (WHO), Rospotrebnadzor, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Stopkoronavirus.rf website.
To understand what news can be trusted and which is not, the Google Fact Check Tool S tool will help . For example, when requesting “garlic at coronavirus”, news appears in the issuance with a “common misconception” mark, and if you set the “Bill Gates” request - news about chipping and mark “fake” and “False and manipulation”.
"VKontakte"
A single center of information in the form of a mini-application and a thematic news feed was created on the social network . You can also subscribe to the official community of the Russian representative office of WHO.
"Classmates"
The news about the Covid-19 out of 150 reliable federal and regional media can be monitored in a special tape. The social network also promotes the recommendations of official bodies.
Messages from WHO and Rospotrebnadzor can be seen in the search and tape Instagram.
Content is not about coronavirus
Reading news about coronavirus all the time is difficult. In conditions of isolation, the demand for entertainment formats increased. So, the number of views of VKontakte video increased by 33%, and the video service “Odnoklassniki” set a new record - 1 billion views per day. According to the VKontakte press service, the popularity of direct broadcasts increased by 48% during self-isolation, and in Odnoklassniki their number increased by 29% during March.
“Since people began to spend more time in OK, our task is to make this time even more interesting. We cannot replace emotions from visiting a concert or personal congratulations, but we can help people in touch and not get bored at home, ”the press service of“ Odnoklassniki ”shall be shared.
Since the beginning of the pandemic and still social networks have been developing projects in the genre of the infotation (mix of informative and entertainment content. - Approx. TD) .
Google Search and YouTube
On the YouTube Russia channel , within the framework of the #homewess project, they offer to learn new things in the field of art, history, popular science, watch movies, learn a recipe or make a warm -up.
The website " Secret door " using the Google Service "Viewing the Street" takes the user to a random place.
"VKontakte"
Those who are tired of restless news can monitor the updates of the #Rhuster tape . Only positive content falls into it: broadcasts of cultural events, ideas of home leisure and flash mobs.
“Also in early April, we launched an aggregator of entertaining and educational content so that it was convenient for users to navigate in a huge stream of broadcasts and direct broadcasts. In the mini-up of the “I will look at the house” the poster of the most noticeable online events that are held in VK, and the collections of cognitive articles and videos, ”the VKontakte press service says.
"Classmates"
Ophasha online events of "Classmates" is available at home-this is OK! " On the platform of the social network.
The portal about the art of “We to the Museum” makes it possible to watch video exams on exhibitions and temporary exhibitions of the largest Russian museums: State Hermitage, Mlime. A. S. Pushkin, Russian Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Modern Art “Garage”, VDNH and others. Together with the Cosmonautics and Aviation Center at VDNH Odnoklassniki, they recorded an audio guide about the conquest of space.
“Interesting Readings” - a joint project of OK and STS Media television channels. While the child listens to the fairy tale read by the actor or TV presenter, the parent has time to do business.
You can participate in the "Sportser online gym" until May 31. Training is held every day on the air on schedule .
“We want to help people to stay in touch with each other, and therefore in April Instagram announced the appearance of the opportunity to watch and comment on the broadcasts from the web version, as well as the test of functions that allows you to maintain direct broadcasts in IGTV,” says Facebook representative.
In addition, the function of joint viewing Instagram through the video chat and new AR effects started on the social network.
Support for business and distance learning
Another area in which the role of social networks and search engines intensified against the background of pandemia is the organization of distance work, whether it be a business cell or a school lesson.
The number of calls committed in classmates increased by 39%, in VKontakte - by more than 35%. “Calls have become one of the most dynamically growing services during the period of self-isolation,” the press service of “ Odnoklassniki” reports. -Thanks to the possibility of connecting up to 100 interlocutors, the call service in OK is suitable for both personal purposes and for organizing work and online learning. As a result, the number of group calls over the past two weeks of March increased by 70% per day and four times for conferences with the participation of five or more people. ”
According to the Google press service, the fast-growing search queries include tools and platforms for remote work and distance learning-“Ilax”, Zoom, Rash, “Google Class” and Uchi.ru. Teachers can find information about the organization of online lessons and workspace using Google services on the site "Teach from home" .
“ We also feel a great responsibility in helping people overcome difficulties that arise in very quickly changing conditions. We support small and medium -sized businesses. So, we allocated more than 800 million rubles in the form of advertising grants and advertising loans in Russia. For entrepreneurs, we created an anti -crisis hub , where all the information about holding the business is afloat in crisis conditions is collected, ”says Kondratyeva.
Facebook launched a single site with small businesses, which is located next to the user. On Instagram, you can help your favorite cafes, shops and small companies with the help of a sticker “Support Small Business”, and entrepreneurs can inform customers about changes in connection with coronavirus through a special mark. In Facebook and Instagram applications, businesses open access to information about Covid-19 and useful tools that will help to navigate in the current situation and accept business solutions.
VKontakte launched an action in support of a small business: until June 30, business communities can receive compensation for advertising campaigns based on a social network, and restaurants and cafes can additionally receive 3 thousand rubles to launch advertising to adapt to new business conditions easier.