Twitter has not seen a rise in disinformation surrounding the spread of the coronavirus, a platform spokeswoman told the Washington Examiner Thursday.
There have been more than 7,700 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, which includes an increase of more than 1,700 cases over a recent 24-hour period. Among a total of 20 places outside mainland China, where the virus originated, cases of the virus have been confirmed in the United States, India, and the Philippines, CNN reported.
Despite not seeing an uptick in inaccurate information on the platform about the virus, Twitter has launched a new search prompt dedicated to making sure users searching about coronavirus would be met with “credible, real-time content,” a Twitter representative told the Washington Examiner. The prompt is live in more than a dozen countries, specifically those that have had confirmed cases.
Twitter is also trying to promote factual sources, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
We want to help you access credible information, especially when it comes to public health.
We’ve adjusted our search prompt in key countries across the globe to feature authoritative health sources when you search for terms related to novel #coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/RrDypu08YZ
— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) January 29, 2020
The social media company also expanded the feature for Asia-Pacific countries so that they’re “immediately met with authoritative health info from the right sources up top.”
The virus has continued to spread despite the Chinese government’s effort to quarantine those who could have been exposed to the illness.
Fifty million people and 18 cities have been quarantined as the Chinese government scrambles to build temporary hospitals to treat infected patients. The virus is believed to have emanated from a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. The Chinese New Year appears to have exacerbated the spread as millions traveled across the country.
Although China has quarantined people who were exposed to the virus, nearly 200 Americans who returned to the U.S. from Wuhan were not placed under quarantine after they arrived but voluntarily chose to remain at an air base in California for monitoring.
