Koo issues advisory to check fake news ahead of Assembly poll results

Ahead of results of the assembly polls in five states, Koo has issued an advisory to sensitise users to harness social media in a responsible manner and also curb spread of misinformation and fake news.

In a statement, the micro-blogging site on Friday said it has released community guidelines for its users in the 10 languages that are operational on the platform.

Results of elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur will be declared on March 10.

Koo said it has also restricted over 800 handles so far after finding them posting "spammy or unwarranted content".

"Ahead of election results in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Goa and Manipur, the Koo app has launched an advisory to sensitise users to harness social media in a responsible manner and to curb misinformation and fake news," the statement said.

"As part of the advisory, Koo has also released its community guidelines in all the 10 languages that are operational on the platform," it said.

The statement said fake news is "often" proliferated by bots or spam accounts and Koo "proactively" monitors and restricts the actions of such accounts to limit misinformation.

"From December 1, 2021 till February 28, 2022, we spotted more than 4,720 handles that identified themselves as news channels or journalists or being related to news in any manner, out of which 834 handles have been restricted due to spammy or unwarranted content," it said, adding "we continue to monitor their behaviour".

Noting that a spike in misinformation is "usually witnessed" on social media before election results, the micro-blogging platform said it has enabled users access to "prominent third-party fact-checkers" for the purpose of authenticating information.

"Being a social media intermediary, Koo itself does not assess accuracy or interfere with content, unless required by the law," the statement said.

Enabling access to fact-checkers is reiteration of Koo's commitment to building safety and transparency online, it said.

Koo said that its community guidelines are aligned to "the Indian context" and they empower the creators, as well as first-time users to build more "wholesome content", while detailing out what constitutes responsible online conduct.

The guidelines carry "specific references" to fake news and misinformation, and inform users on the importance of verifying information before posting, while refraining from calling out information as fake without adequate proof, it said.

"As a social platform for self-expression in native languages, we celebrate creators and empower users to adopt a more holistic approach online to foster creativity and innovation. Misinformation is a key concern ahead of crucial events. Through this advisory, Koo - as a responsible platform - can help restrict the proliferation of fake news and malice, and promote greater online safety and transparency," Koo's CEO and co-founder Aprameya Radhakrishna was quoted as saying in the statement.

The advisory will encourage users, especially first-time users to leverage technology "in a positive and respectful manner" to build more meaningful conversations online, he said.

"Koo endeavors to identify best practices on a continuous basis to provide users with a secure and immersive experience," Radhakrishna added.

The micro-blogging platform said it had earlier released 'Koo Voters Guide', ahead of the elections in multiple languages, to empower first-time voters on their rights and responsibilities as enshrined in the Constitution of India.

"Koo has also been augmenting voter literacy to build greater trust in the electoral process," it said, adding that it has "successfully" executed voter awareness campaigns like 'PledgeToVote', 'UP ka Manifesto'.