Meta has announced a new collaboration with the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA) to introduce a fact-checking helpline on WhatsApp. This initiative aims to counter the rise of misleading content, particularly deepfakes, which can deceive people about important public matters.
The helpline will connect users with verified and credible information. Through this partnership, MCA, alongside independent fact-checkers and research organizations, will tackle viral misinformation, especially deepfakes, by allowing users to report them via the WhatsApp chatbot.
The helpline will provide multilingual support in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu to cater to a diverse user base. The MCA will establish a central ‘deepfake analysis unit’ to handle incoming messages. They will collaborate with member fact-checking organizations and industry partners to verify content and debunk false claims.
Meta emphasizes a four-pillar approach: detection, prevention, reporting, and awareness-building, to combat the spread of deepfakes and empower users with reliable information.
With millions of Indian WhatsApp users, this collaboration underscores Meta’s commitment to empowering users and follows their recent efforts to label AI-generated images on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
Availability
The MCA’s WhatsApp helpline is scheduled to be available to the public starting March 2024.
Speaking about the initiative, Shivnath Thukral, Director, Public Policy India, Meta, said:
We acknowledge the concerns surrounding AI-generated misinformation and believe addressing this issue requires concrete and collaborative efforts across the industry. Our partnership with MCA to launch a dedicated WhatsApp helpline for debunking deepfakes, which have the potential to significantly mislead individuals, aligns with our commitment under the Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in the 2024 Elections.
As a company deeply entrenched in AI development for over a decade, we remain steadfast in our dedication to collaborating with industry stakeholders to establish uniform technical standards for AI detection, transparency solutions, and policies. Additionally, we are committed to equipping users on our platforms with resources and tools to easily discern content generated through AI and to stem the spread of misinformation.
Commenting about the collaboration, Bharat Gupta, President, Misinformation Combat Alliance, said:
The establishment of the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) represents a crucial and timely effort to curb the dissemination of AI-driven misinformation among social media and internet users in India. Its creation underscores the collaborative and comprehensive approach envisioned by the MCA to cultivate a healthy information landscape.
This initiative will bring together fact-checkers accredited by the IFCN, journalists, civic tech specialists, research laboratories, and forensic experts, supported by Meta. We anticipate that the DAU will emerge as a reliable resource for the public to differentiate between authentic content and AI-generated media, and we extend an invitation to additional stakeholders to join us in this endeavor.