To address the growing threat of deepfakes and the challenges of misleading AI-generated content, the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA) and Meta have announced the launch of a dedicated fact-checking helpline on WhatsApp. This helpline will be available for general public use in March 2024.
MCA is a cross-industry alliance
MCA is a cross-industry coalition that brings together companies, organizations, institutions, industry associations and organizations to collectively fight misinformation and its impact. This initiative will allow the MCA and its independent fact-checkers and research organizations to identify disseminated misinformation, particularly deepfakes. People will be able to identify deepfakes by sending information broadcast to WhatsApp chatbots.
How will this work?
WhatsApp's chatbot will support English and three regional languages (Hindi, Tamil and Telugu). Along with this, MCA will set up a central deepfake analysis unit to manage all the messages received on WhatsApp helpline. They will work closely with members of fact-checking organizations, as well as industry partners and digital labs, to assess and verify content and respond to messages accordingly, rejecting false claims and misinformation.
Legal responsibility of internet platforms to prevent deep fakes
The government on Monday reiterated that it is the legal responsibility of internet media platforms and social media intermediaries in India not to host misinformation and deep fakes on their platforms. Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajiv Chandrashekhar, in an ex-post, while informing about the launch of WhatsApp helpline by META and MCA, said that it is good to use credible fact-checkers to label misleading information.