Instant messaging platform WhatsApp Monday started the second phase of its campaign 'Share Joy, Not Rumors' across country, including in regional languages.
The campaign will run across TV, print and radio as well as social media platforms.
"As India goes to vote at the General Elections in April, WhatsApp launched its second leg of the 'Share Joy, Not Rumors'. The first phase of the campaign successfully reached hundreds of millions 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," WhatsApp said in a statement.
WhatsApp has been under the scanner following cases of mob violence sparked by fake news and misinformation spread through the mobile messaging platform.
Leading social media companies and technology majors, including Facebook, Twitter and Google, have signed a voluntary code to ensure their platforms are not used to spread fake news ahead of the general elections.
"Proactively working with the Election Committee and local partners for a safe election is our top priority. Expanding our education campaign to help people easily identify and stop malicious messages is another step towards improving the safety of our users," Abhijit Bose, Head of India, WhatsApp said.
Industry body IAMAI has formed the Election Committee, comprising representatives from social media firms, to coordinate with the Election Commission to ensure compliance with poll norms.
Regarding the campaign, the company said, "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."
The campaign has been launched in ten languages -- English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu, Assamese, Gujarati, Marathi, Malayalam and Tamil.
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