Coronavirus: Here's how you'll stop bad information from going viral

Coronavirus misinformation is invading the web .
A parliamentary subcommittee asked members of the general public to submit examples. The committee specifically requested that the disinformation of the submissions be shared with private groups and closed applications like WhatsApp - the deadline is Monday.

Meanwhile, experts turn the general public to practice "information hygiene". So what are you able to do to prevent the spread of bad information online?

1. Stop and think

You want to assist your family and friends and keep them informed. So once you receive new advice - whether by email, WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter - you'll catch on to them quickly.

But experts say the primary thing you'll do to finish misinformation is to only stop and think.

If you've got any doubts, take an opportunity and check it out further.

2. Check your source

Before sending it, ask some basic questions on where the knowledge comes from.

It is an enormous red flag if the source is "a friend of a friend" or "the neighbor of my aunt's colleague".

"The most reliable sources of data remain public health organizations like the NHS, the planet Health Organization or the centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the us ." says Claire Milne, deputy editor of British Full Fact fact-finding organization.

Experts aren't infallible. But they're far more reliable than the distant relative of a stranger on WhatsApp.

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3. Could it's a fake?

Looks are often deceiving.

It is possible to pose as official accounts and authorities, including BBC News and therefore the government. The screenshots also can be edited to offer the impression that the knowledge comes from a trusted public body.

Check known and verified accounts and websites. If you cannot find the knowledge easily, it's going to be a hoax. And if a piece of writing , video or link seems suspicious to you, it probably is.

According to Claire Milne of Full Fact, fact checkers use capital letters and inconsistent fonts as a potentially misleading indicator.

4. you do not know if it's true? don't share

Do not pass things on "in case" they might be true. you'll be doing more harm than good.

Often, we publish articles in places where we all know there are experts - like doctors or health care professionals. which may be OK, but confirm you're very clear about your doubts. And beware - this photo or text you'll share later is stripped of its context.

5. Check each fact individually

When you receive long lists of tips, it is easy to believe everything in them simply because you recognize needless to say that one among the ideas (for example, available washing) is true.

But it isn't always the case. don't assume that each piece of data during a message is true simply because you recognize that a part of the message is certainly correct.

6. watch out for emotional messages

These are the items that scare us, angry, anxious or happy that tend to urge really viral.

"Fear is one among the most drivers for disinformation to thrive," said Claire Wardle of First Draft, a corporation that helps journalists fight online disinformation.

Urgent calls to action are designed to extend anxiety - so take care .

"People want to assist their loved ones stay safe, so once they see" Tips to stop the virus! "or 'Take this health supplement!' People want to try to to everything they will to assist , "she said.

7. believe prejudice

Do you share something because you recognize it's true - or simply because you accept as true with it?

Carl Miller, director of research of the middle for the Analysis of Social Media at think factory Demos, says we are more likely to share articles that reinforce our existing beliefs.

"It is once we nod our heads in anger that we are most vulnerable," he said. "That's when, above all, we just need to hamper everything we do online."

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