Reuters expands fact-checking service to United Kingdom

Reuters announced Wednesday that it’s expanding efforts to combat misinformation on social media by expanding its partnership with Facebook’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program in the U.K.

The move comes at a crucial time as global audiences’ battle with the spreading misinformation on coronavirus.

As part of the expanded partnership, Reuters will be offering its media verification expertise in reviewing false content from U.K. users posted on Facebook and Instagram for its U.K.-based audience.

Hazel Baker, head of UGC Newsgathering at Reuters, said, “As the world faces up to the severity of the coronavirus outbreak, the need to stem the flow of misinformation has never been more critical. The Reuters Fact Check team is examining social media content closely in order to track viral claims made by users in the U.S. and now also in the U.K. By verifying or debunking these claims, we hope to play our role, aimed at the public’s interest, in reducing the rate at which inaccurate and potentially harmful posts are being shared at this time.”

Reuters has documented its findings in a specially created blog, and in the last six weeks its fact-checking unit has analyzed over 40 pieces of viral content related to COVID-19 on Facebook.