Here’s a guide on how to verify COVID-19 information on your Facebook feed

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases continue to rise in the Philippines, it is important for us Filipinos to prevent the spread of misinformation to avoid causing confusion among the people.

With this, Facebook urged Filipinos to share only verified COVID-19 information to reduce unnecessary fear and panic on the platform.

According to the social media giant, here are steps to check information in your feed before hitting share:

Inspect the post

Always take note of the headline because false news stories tend to have sensational attention-grabbing headlines.

These headlines include those with excessive exclamation points and overly dramatic headlines with shocking claims.

Take note of the website name and URL

Dubious URLs or website names often try to imitate those of authentic news sites so do not be fooled by these.

Some try to make tiny changes like a capital “I” for a lowercase “l” or a zero “0” for an “o.”

To verify, open a new browser window and go to the actual site then compare the real URL with the other one.

Investigate the site

If you followed the link, inspect the article page and verify the author’s name and check if he or she is a credible source.

You can also check out the website’s “About” section to help users learn more about the news organization.

Watch out for inconsistencies

Inconsistencies with the posting dates or timelines of the story, weird or clumsy formatting, awkward layouts and misspellings can often be seen in false new sites because they do not pay attention to details like these.

Be skeptical of photos or videos that look manipulated as well.

Take note of the people quoted in the story

Undisclosed sources and are called as “a top expert” may be an indication of a false news story, Facebook said.

The platform also reminded the public to double check if sources of other articles or studies that the author has referred to are accurate.

Compare with other headlines or stories

Check if other news sources are reporting on the story and check data points with credible sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH).

Facebook said it is more likely for the story to be true if multiple credible sources are also reporting on it.

Get the latest and official information only from global and local health authorities

To make sure you are reading and sharing accurate COVID-19 information, you may refer to the following for updates:

• DOH COVID-19 advisories
• DOH Official Facebook page
• WHO COVID-19 page
• WHO advisories on COVID-19 in the Philippines

If you find a post to be a false story, Facebook said to report it immediately.

Malacañang on Friday also warned the public against false information circulating on social media about the public health emergency in connection with COVID-19.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the sudden surge of fake news “create panic, confusion and fear among our people.”

“We denounce the proliferation of such false narratives,” he said. “We ask the citizenry to be discerning on what they read on social media and not to readily believe them.”

The Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said they would go after those who spread false information online.

As of Monday, the Philippines has confirmed 396 COVID-19 cases with 33 deaths.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine until April 13 to curb the spread of the virus. --Ma. Angelica Garcia/MGP, GMA News