Facebook wants you to be able to trust what you read about the coronavirus, Mark Zuckerberg said.
Angela Lang/CNET
Facebook is letting the World Health Organization (WHO) advertise for free in an effort to combat misinformation on the global coronavirus outbreak. The social network wants you to feel confident that updates are “credible and accurate,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post late Tuesday.
“If you search for coronavirus on Facebook, you’ll see a pop-up that directs you to the World Health Organization or your local health authority for the latest information,” he wrote. “If you’re in a country where the WHO has reported person-to-person transmission, you’ll also see it in your News Feed.”
Zuckerberg also noted that his site is working with various countries’ health ministries and organizations like the CDC and UNICEF. It plans to give ad credits to other groups as well.
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The new strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causes a pneumonia-like illness and was discovered in Wuhan, China, in December. It has now infected more than 93,000 people and caused nearly 3,200 deaths globally.
Misinformation and conspiracy theories about the illness have spread via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. Last week, Facebook banned ads that mention a cure or preventative measures.
It’s also canceled its F8 developer conference and withdrawn from the SXSW conference and festivals.
First published March 4. 3:34 a.m. PT.
Updated 4:06 a.m. PT: Adds more detail.