India’s two public figures, including Amitabh Bachhan and Rajnikanth had to face the wrath of micro-blogging site Twitter for posting incorrect information over global pandemic Coronavirus.
The twitter removed superstar Rajnikanth tweets after finding it as fake information.
On March 19, Rajinikanth posted a video on twitter in support of Janata Curfew and requested people to take part in it. However, within a few hours, Twitter took down Rajinikanth’s video as it misinformed people about the pandemic.
On Sunday (March 22), the Superstar claimed that his statement in the video was not understood properly.
He said that he had only asked people to respect the curfew and stay at home for 14 hours to contain the spread of the virus.
“I had said that if we respect the curfew and stay at home for 12 to 14 hours, we can prevent India from entering stage 3. It was understood as if I said that it was enough if we stayed at home on Sunday alone and was shared widely. Twitter had removed my post for the same reason,” his statement read.
In case of Amitabh Bachhan, he deleted his tweet which read: “T 3479 – AN OPINION GIVEN : 5 pm ; 22nd Mar, ‘amavasya’, darkest day of month ;virus, bacteria evil force at max potential & power ! Clapping shankh vibrations reduce/ destroy virus potency. Moon passing to new ‘nakshatra’ Revati. cumulative vibration betters blood circulation”.
The tweet was almost entirely factually incorrect.
In the wake of several key figures followed by millions of people tweeting scientific misinformation, Twitter had announced taking of extra steps to remove coronavirus-related misinformation from its network.
The new policy bans tweets that “deny expert guidance, encourage fake or ineffective treatments, preventions and diagnostic techniques, and misleading content purporting to be from experts or authorities.”
Just days after announcing a new push to combat misinformation about covid-19 on the social network, Twitter warned on Monday it might not be able to address every tweet that violates those new safety rules.
Under the new guidelines, Twitter had said it would require users to remove tweets that could fuel the spread of the novel coronavirus, specifically those that go against the recommendations of local and global health authorities or encourage the use of ineffective or harmful treatments.
Twitter expanded on that policy Monday in a series of tweets.
“We want to make it clear that we will not be able to take enforcement action on every tweet that contains incomplete or disputed information about COVID-19,” the Twitter Safety Team said.
“Official government accounts engaging in conversation about the origins of the virus and global public conversation about potential emergent treatments will be permitted, unless the content contains clear incitement to take a harmful physical action,” the team said in a followup tweet.
The new guidance comes as social networks try to stop the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include a cough and shortness of breath.
Twitter’s tweets also said it’s keeping an eye on its enforcement guidance, in consultation with medical professionals and would update the public on its progress.
