WhatsApp is major vector for spreading misinformation and panic
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Date
WhatsApp is being flooded with fake cures, false information about how the illness is transmitted, and coronavirus conspiracy theories, and has become a vector for spreading panic and misinformation around the world, particularly in countries such as Nigeria, Singapore, Brazil, Pakistan, and Ireland. In Botswana, the government has begged the population to be wary of what they're reading on the app. The fact that WhatsApp messages are encrypted, readable only by sender and recipients makes moderating content difficult.
Sources:
https://www.theverge.com/interface/2020/3/5/21164683/covid-19-tech-response-facebook-google-twitter-microsoft-youtube-whatsapp
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/03/02/whatsapp-coronavirus-misinformation/
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