Facebook launches third-party fact-checking programme in Bangladesh

Facebook authorities on Apr 19 launched a third-party fact-checking programme in Bangladesh to reduce the spread of misinformation and improve the quality of the news people find online.

Facebook will partner with BOOM, which has been certified by the Poynter Institute's non-partisan International Fact Checking Network, said a press release from Facebook.

BOOM will review and rate the accuracy of stories including photos and videos in Bangladesh on Facebook from Sunday, it said.

Usually, when a third-party fact-checkers rates a story as false, it will appear lower in News Feed, significantly reducing its distribution.

Facebook said it is also working with BOOM in other countries such as India and Myanmar.

“We know that people want to see accurate information on Facebook and we’re excited to announce the continued growth of our third-party fact-checking programme through our partnership with BOOM for Bangladesh,” said Anjali Kapoor, Facebook’s News Partnership Director, APAC.

She also hoped that it will help build a more informed community and look forward to exploring more opportunities to expand this programme locally.

Govind Ethiraj, Founder-Editor of BOOM, said “With a dedicated team, we’ll debunk online misinformation on topics from health and medicine to current affairs.”

Earlier this year, Facebook partnered with Banglalink for the second time to launch a digital literacy programme - Internet 101.

The programme works to ensure that users understand internet safety best practices through one-on-one training sessions at each of Banglalink’s 3,000 retail locations.

Facebook's fact-checking program started in December 2016. It has over 60 partners fact-checking content in over 50 languages.