Meta Partners With PTI To Expand Fact-Checking Initiative in India

Meta has expanded its third-party fact-checking initiative in India by partnering with the Press Trust of India (PTI). Under the collaboration, PTI will establish a dedicated fact-checking unit within its editorial team to identify and evaluate misinformation circulating on Meta's platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Threads.

With PTI coming on board, Meta now has 12 fact-checking partners in India covering content in 16 Indian languages. The partnership increases Meta's coverage of fact-checking for regional language content in the country.

Meta started its fact-checking programme in 2016 to address the spread of viral misinformation, especially hoaxes without any factual basis. The third-party partners identify, rate and review such misleading content. If a fact-checker rates a piece of content as false, altered or partly false, Meta reduces its distribution to limit its reach. It also notifies users trying to share such content and adds a warning label linking to the fact-checker's article explaining the issue.

The company only collaborates with fact-checking agencies certified by the International Fact-Checking Network to ensure checks are non-partisan. Meta currently has nearly 100 partners globally fact-checking in over 60 languages.

The expansion in India comes just days before the start of general elections, aiming to curb the spread of election-related misinformation across Meta's family of apps. With PTI onboard, Meta now has the largest number of third-party fact-checking partners of any country globally.

“Today, we are expanding our third-party fact-checking program in India to include Press Trust of India (PTI), a dedicated fact-checking unit within the newswire's editorial department. The partnership will enable PTI to identify, review and rate content as misinformation across Meta platforms,” Meta said in a press release.

"By joining Meta's 3PFC programme, PTI Fact Check's reach and impact will be significantly amplified. This collaboration will strengthen the fight against misinformation in India's digital landscape and empower users to navigate the online world with greater confidence," said Vijay Joshi, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, PTI.