Ahead of Assembly poll results, Koo issues advisory to restrict misinformation

Ahead of election results in the five states, microblogging platform Koo has issued an advisory to sensitise users to use social media in a responsible manner and to curb misinformation and fake news.

As part of the advisory, Koo has also released its community guidelines in all the 10 languages that are operational on the platform.

These guidelines are aligned to the Indian context and empower creators, as well as first-time users to build more wholesome content, while detailing out what constitutes responsible online conduct. The guidelines carry specific references to fake news and misinformation, and inform users on the importance of verifying information before posting, while refraining from calling out information as 'fake' without adequate proof.

Since a spike in misinformation is usually witnessed on social media before election results, Koo has enabled users access to prominent third-party fact-checkers for the purpose of authenticating information. Being a social media intermediary, Koo itself does not assess accuracy or interfere with content, unless required by the law; and thus by enabling access to fact-checkers, reiterates its commitment to building safety and transparency online.

As fake news is often proliferated by bots or spam accounts, Koo - being a reliable platform - proactively monitors and restricts the actions of such accounts to limit misinformation. "From December 1, 2021 till February 28, 2022, we spotted more than 4,720 handles that identified themselves as news channels or journalists or being related to news in any manner, out of which 834 handles have been restricted due to spammy or unwarranted content. We continue to monitor their behaviour," Aprameya Radhakrishna, CEO and Co-founder, Koo, said.

"As a social platform for self-expression in native languages, we celebrate creators and empower users to adopt a more holistic approach online to foster creativity and innovation. Misinformation is a key concern ahead of crucial events. Through this advisory, Koo - as a responsible platform - can help restrict the proliferation of fake news and malice, and promote greater online safety and transparency," she added.

The advisory will encourage users, especially first-time users to leverage technology in a positive and respectful manner to build more meaningful conversations online. Koo endeavors to identify best practices on a continuous basis to provide users with a secure and immersive experience, the CEO said.

Counting of votes will take place in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur on March 10.

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