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WhatsApp's New Tipline Isn't Really a Helpline for Those Looking to News

WhatsApp's New Tipline Isn't Really a Helpline for Those Looking to News 2w715v

By Harpreet Singh | Updated: 4 April 2019 16:54 IST

WhatsApp is looking to create a database a rumours to help fight misinformation on its platform z1u73

Highlights

WhatsApp has launched a new tipline in India ahead of the elections
WhatsApp s can forward rumors they receive to this tipline
Not all queries will be answered, but WhatsApp is building a database

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Earlier this week, WhatsApp announced a new tipline in an effort to combat fake news ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in India. WhatsApp s can submit rumours they receive on the popular messaging platform to the 'Checkpoint Tipline'. But what seemed like an easy way to news on WhatsApp, isn't really what everyone thought it would be. Instead, the tipline is merely helping WhatsApp build a database of fake news in order to study misinformation spreading on its platform, something it has been clear enough about from the start.

The WhatsApp via a FAQs (frequently asked questions) page on its official website, as spotted by BuzzFeed.

According to Proto, Checkpoint is simply a research project which has been commissioned by WhatsApp, which is also providing all sorts of technical assistance. The primary goal of the project is to "study the misinformation phenomenon at scale."

WhatsApp s can share links, text messages, or photos they think could be fake to a phone number (+91-9643000888). The automated system asks the if they'd like to the submitted data, and on confirmation responds with, "Thank you, we've received and you should hear from us again shortly."

We shared a number of links and few photos with the Checkpoint tipline, but haven't received any response yet apart from the automated replies.

Proto says all this data will help the company understand how misinformation is spread on WhatsApp. -submitted data will help identify the various issues, locations, languages, and regions being used while spreading fake news on the popular messaging platform.

The startup also makes it very clear that the Checkpoint Tipline is only for gathering data for research and is "not a helpline" that will respond to all of the s' queries on WhatsApp.

To be fair, in its announcement this week, WhatsApp did mention Checkpoint was a research project. "Launched by Proto, an India-based media skilling startup, this tipline will help create a database of rumours to study misinformation during elections for Checkpoint - a research project commissioned and technically assisted by WhatsApp."

However, this doesn't mean that the tipline wouldn't respond at all. Proto says, on its official website, that the company may the "reliability" of the submitted content and choose to respond to a on WhatsApp with their findings.

removed 687 pages and s linked with India's opposition party Congress. Facebook also rolled out a new 'Why am I seeing this post' feature, earlier this month, to let its s understand how their personalized News Feed works.

We discussed what WhatsApp absolutely needs to do in 2019, on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, the episode, or just hit the play button below.

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Further reading: Checkpoint Tipline

Harpreet Singh

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Harpreet is the community manager at Gadgets 360. He loves all things tech, and can be found hunting for good deals when he is not shopping online. He has written about deals and e-commerce in India for many years, as well as covering social media and breaking technology news. More