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posted by chromas on Wednesday January 23 2019, @11:12PM   Printer-friendly

Microsoft is trying to fight fake news with its Edge mobile browser

Microsoft has started warning users of its Edge mobile browser about untrustworthy news sites. The software giant has partnered with NewsGuard to provide warnings in its Edge browser for iOS and Android, and this functionality has been added this week as an optional setting. NewsGuard was founded by journalists Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, and rates sites based on a variety of criteria including their use of deceptive headlines, whether they repeatedly publish false content, and transparency regarding ownership and financing.

Microsoft first started offering an optional NewsGuard browser extension for Edge on the desktop version of Windows 10 last year, but the move to build this directly into the mobile version suggests the company may be looking to make this a core part of Edge in the future. The Guardian reports that Edge mobile is now warning users that the Daily Mail's website, Mail Online, "generally fails to maintain basic standards of accuracy and accountability."

WhatsApp Tries To Curb Misinformation, And Annoying Aunts And Uncles

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world. With about 1.5 billion users, it's a free way to text and place international voice and video calls.

But recently the platform, which is owned by Facebook, has faced accusations of being used to spread misinformation — with serious consequences. Last year in India, rumors spread mostly on WhatsApp led to mob killings. In the run-up to Brazil's recent elections, misinformation and conspiracy theories also went viral on the messaging app.

WhatsApp is now limiting the number of people users can forward messages to, to five. [...] WhatsApp "carefully evaluated this test and listened to user feedback over a six-month period," a company spokesperson told NPR. "The forward limit significantly reduced forwarded messages around the world. We'll continue to listen to user feedback about their experience, and over time, look for new ways of addressing viral content."


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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @12:20AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 24 2019, @12:20AM (#790937)

    The problem here is India, not WhatsApp. Believe me there have been mob killings in India way before WhatsApp existed.

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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday January 24 2019, @01:51AM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday January 24 2019, @01:51AM (#790982) Journal

    The problem in here is the post-truth civilization invading simpler cultures [soylentnews.org].

    Not much different from the invasion of native Americans or Aborigines by the anglo-saxons, except today they aren't using smallpox infected blankets, but lies and trolling.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 24 2019, @02:14AM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday January 24 2019, @02:14AM (#790992) Journal

    It is worth noting that you fastened on India, and not the uneducated poor backwoods people. I also note that "the small town of Acatlán in the central Mexican state of Puebla" from the first article above probably has few Indians living in it.