Share Joy, Not Rumors: WhatsApp launches second leg of campaign to educate voters about fake news, misinformation


As India would be voting for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 in April, social media platform WhatsApp has launched the second leg of “Share Joy, Not Rumors”, its integrated education campaign to encourage the responsible use of its platform. The first phase of the campaign successfully reached millions of Indians including both rural and urban areas and WhatsApp is building on the campaign with a second-round focused on supporting a safe election process.

Adding to the earlier TV, print and radio ads, Share Joy, Not Rumors campaign will educate people on the controls available on WhatsApp platform so they are empowered to stop the spread of fake news and misinformation. The short online videos can be seen on social media platforms and are a step by step tutorial on how to exit a group, block a contact and the significance of the forwarded label. They are available on YouTube.

WhatsApp’s digital literacy partners, including DEF and NASSCOM, will share these videos to grow awareness. The print ads are aimed to act as reminders on how to spot, verify and stop sharing of misinformation that can cause harmful outcomes during the sensitive period of polling.

“Proactively working with the Election Committee and local partners for a safe election is our top priority”, said Abhijit Bose, Head of India, WhatsApp, adding, “Expanding our education campaign to help people easily identify and stop malicious messages is another step towards improving the safety of our users.”

Most recently, a partnership with the NASSCOM Foundation was kicked off to train college students and volunteers on digital literacy with a focus on first-time voters.

YouTube Links:

Forwarded Message:  English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, Assamese

Tips to spot fake news: English, Telugu, Kannada, Assamese, Gujarati, Marathi

How to block contact over WhatsApp: English, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali

How to leave a group on WhatsApp: English, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Assamese