Twitter is planning to remove content that promotes misinformation about the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The micro-blogging platform fears that ill-informed tweets could lead to people accidentally putting themselves in danger of contracting the virus.
In a post on its website, Twitter explained: “We will enforce this in close coordination with trusted partners, including public health authorities and governments, and continue to use and consult with information from those sources when reviewing content.”
The social media company confirmed that it plans to crackdown on denial of expert guidance, as well as unofficial advice about methods to diagnose or treat the virus.
Earlier this week, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Reddit announced plans to work with governments to fight misinformation.
In a joint statement, the companies said: “We are working closely together on COVID-19 response efforts.
“We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.”
Search engines have also joined the fight against COVID-19 by placing guidance from the NHS and World Health Organization at the top of their search results.
