In an effort to combat misinformation spread through photos and videos, Instagram is adding a “False Information” warning to its platform.
Instagram is further strengthening its efforts to combat misinformation and now includes automatic flagging of certain fake articles. Using a combination of user reports and automation, suspicious content will be sent to independent fact-checkers for review and will be marked as “False” if proven to be fake.
According to Instagram, content will be flagged as potentially fake using “a combination of feedback from our user community and our technology.” Then, if independent third-party reviewers identify that the content is indeed fake, three things will happen:
- The photo or video will be removed from the Explore and Hashtag pages to “reduce its distribution”
- The photo will be clearly labeled “False Information” in an overlay that does not allow you to directly view the photo or video.
- Anyone who tries to post the same photo will receive a warning that they are about to share false information.
The example Instagram gave in its announcement was a widely shared photo of a shark on a flooded Houston highway during Hurricane Harvey.
In addition to the three consequences outlined above, accounts that are repeatedly flagged for sharing false information will be permanently removed from Explore pages and hashtags.
This automatic labeling could help combat some misinformation efforts. Maybe it will stop you from seeing articles about old hoaxes or fake scientific topics. It won’t necessarily stop professional charlatans and pranksters, and it certainly won’t help you avoid the false political ads that have flooded the internet. But it’s a step in the right direction.
To learn more about this labeling system, read Instagram's full announcement here.
