New Delhi | Press Trust of India (PTI) has joined Meta's Third Party Fact-Checking Partnership (3PFC) programme to identify, review and rate content as misinformation across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Meta announced the onboarding of India's leading news agency as it seeks to expand its third-party fact-checking network just as electioneering for the Lok Sabha polls has picked up.
"By joining Meta's 3PFC programme, PTI Fact Check's reach and impact will be significantly amplified. This collaboration will strengthen the fight against misinformation in India's digital landscape and empower users to navigate the online world with greater confidence," said Vijay Joshi, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, PTI.
Founded in 1947, PTI is one of the oldest and largest news agencies in Asia. It has a vast network of correspondents across India and the globe, providing news coverage in text, video, photographs, and infographics.
To fight the spread of misinformation and provide people with more reliable information, Meta partners with independent third-party fact-checkers that are certified through the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) which identifies, reviews, and rates viral misinformation across Meta platforms.
Globally, Meta has also built the largest independent fact-checking network of any platform, with nearly 100 partners around the world to review and rate viral misinformation in more than 60 languages.
PTI is known for its credibility and commitment to journalistic ethics, making it a valuable addition to Meta's fact-checking efforts.
The news agency established its fact-checking arm, PTI Fact Check, in 2022. The dedicated team of journalists, having vast experience in fact-checking, verifies the accuracy of claims circulating online.
PTI Fact Check employs a rigorous methodology that involves cross-referencing information with credible sources, contacting experts, and analysing data. Their fact-checks are published on the PTI website and social media platforms.
Meta's 3PFC programme works by partnering with independent fact-checkers who review and rate the accuracy of content shared on their platforms. When a user encounters content flagged by a fact-checker as false or misleading, it will be labelled accordingly, and users will be directed to links with factual information.
This disrupts the spread of misinformation and empowers users to make informed decisions about their content.
"Since 2016, our fact-checking programme has expanded to include nearly 100 organisations globally. The focus of the programme is to address viral misinformation – particularly clear hoaxes that have no basis in fact. Fact-checking partners prioritise probably false claims that are timely, trending and consequential," according to a statement by Meta.
With this partnership with PTI, Meta has 12 fact-checking partners in India, making it the country with the most third-party fact-checking partners globally across Meta.
The 3PFC Indian language coverage stands at 16 through the existing fact-checking partners to include Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu, Punjabi, Assamese, Manipuri/ Meitei, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Kashmiri, Bhojpuri, Oriya and Nepali, besides English.
