Meta partners with PTI to expand its fact checking programme in India

Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta, the parent company of social media giants Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has partnered with the Press Trust of India (PTI) to bolster its fact-checking efforts in India. 

The partnership aims to curb the spread of misinformation across Meta's platforms, especially with the looming Lok Sabha elections. PTI's dedicated fact-checking unit within its editorial department will now play a crucial role in identifying, reviewing, and rating content across these social media giants.

Addition of PTI to Meta's fact-checking program 

It's worth noting that the addition of PTI to Meta's fact-checking program elevates India's position as the country with the most third-party fact-checking partners globally for the company, totalling 12.

Besides PTI, The company has already partnered with AFP - Hub, Boom, Fact Crescendo, Factly, The Healthy, Indian Project, India Today Fact Check, NewsChecker, NewsMeter, Newsmobile, Fact Checker, The Quint, and Vishvas.News

The partnership is part of Meta's broader strategy to build a robust network of nearly 100 fact-checking partners worldwide, tackling viral misinformation in more than 60 languages.

The mechanics of misinformation management 

Meta's fact-checking program operates under a simple yet effective mechanism. When a fact-checker, certified by the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), rates a piece of content as false, altered, or partly false, Meta takes immediate action to reduce its distribution.

This ensures that fewer people encounter the misinformation. Additionally, Meta alerts individuals who attempt to share or have previously shared the disputed content, providing them with a warning label and a link to more detailed information.

Prioritizing provably false claims

Meta said the core focus of the fact-checking initiative is to confront viral misinformation head-on, particularly the kind that consists of clear hoaxes devoid of any factual basis.

Fact-checking partners are tasked with prioritizing claims that are not only provably false but also timely, trending, and of significant consequence. The company believes that this approach ensures that the most potentially harmful misinformation is addressed swiftly and efficiently.

Election readiness and AI transparency

In anticipation of the upcoming Indian general elections, Meta has taken additional steps to ensure the integrity of its platforms. Last month, the company announced the activation of a country-specific Elections Operations Center to monitor potential threats and implement real-time mitigations across its apps.

Furthermore, The company is enhancing transparency around AI-generated content, requiring advertisers to disclose the use of AI in creating or altering political or social issue ads.The policy aims to foster an informed user base capable of distinguishing between authentic and manipulated content.