California's new bot is fighting COVID-19 misinformation on WhatsApp – StateScoop

Written by Colin Wood Apr 26, 2022 | STATESCOOPIn an attempt to fight misinformation on the same platforms that spread it, the California Department of Public Health last week announced a new chatbot aimed at dispelling myths surrounding COVID-19, particularly among Spanish-speaking Californians. The department unveiled the new chatbot, available in English and Spanish, on WhatsApp, the popular messaging service that has for years has been the preferred chatting app of Hispanics in the U.S. Through a partnership with Meta, which owns WhatsApp, California aims to chip away at what department spokespeople acknowledged is a massive problem. “We wanted to know how [companies] could help us with some stuff we were seeing everywhere, especially around myths and misinformation and malinformation,” said Yurina Melara, the California Department of Public Health’s multiethnic press secretary. “We were noticing there was a lot of mis- and disinformation on the web, especially in Spanish.” Scan this with a smartphone to chat with California’s COVID-19 anti-misinformation chatbot. Users can access the bot, which is free, by texting “Hola” or “Hi” to the WhatsApp number 833-422-1090 or by scanning a QR code. The bot allows users to text numbers corresponding with menu options to get answers to…
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