Facebook scrambles as use soars in time of isolation

Facebook has said it would place "authoritative" coronavirus content at the top of user feeds as it scrambled to keep up with increased usage and stem the flow of misinformation on its platform and WhatsApp messaging.

The leading social network said on Wednesday it has nearly doubled server capacity to power WhatsApp as people in isolation place more voice and video calls using the popular messaging service.

Facebook also donated USD 1 million to the International Fact-Checking Network to expand the presence of local fact-checkers and curb misinformation on WhatsApp, said Facebook head of health Kang-Xing Jin.

"Teams are hard at work to make sure all the services run smoothly, because this is clearly a time when people want to stay connected," Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said while updating reporters on the company's efforts.

"We want to make sure we do our part to alleviate loneliness." As part of an effort to be a resource for reliable information about the coronavirus crisis, Facebook is rolling out an information center that will be displayed at the top of news feeds at the social network.

The information hub was built in collaboration with health organizations and will roll out in the US and Europe through Wednesday, with plans to expand it to other locations.

"Our goal is to put authoritative information in front of everyone who uses our services," Zuckerberg said.

The hub will display content from public health experts, celebrities, academics and others encouraging ways to reduce coronavirus risk -- such as by taking social-distancing seriously, according to Zuckerberg.

Facebook is under intense scrutiny regarding how it prevents hoaxes or dangerously misleading information regarding the deadly pandemic from spreading on its platform, according to Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi.

"It's not politics. It's not (an) election. This is killing people," Milanesi said of the importance of getting people the truth about the coronavirus.

"If they're smart -- I know it sounds callous on my part -- but they would use this to win back some of the positive sentiment around the brand."