WhatsApp to give researchers $50,000 for study on how to tackle fake news

Following deaths across India fuelled by false information on social media, messaging platform WhatsApp has announced that it will grant awards worth $50,000 to researchers to study how misinformation and propaganda spread across social media platforms.

"For this first phase of our program, WhatsApp is commissioning a competitive set of awards to researchers interested in exploring issues that are related to misinformation on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp Research Awards will provide funding for independent research proposals that are designed to be shared with WhatsApp, Facebook, and wider scholarly and policy communities," WhatsApp said in a statement.

According to the statement, the criteria to enroll in the program is that an independent researcher should develop conceptual tools, gather and analyze data, and/or investigate relevant issues.

Each awardee will retain all intellectual property rights to their data and analyses. The company said it will give preference to research conducted in countries such as India, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and others where WhatsApp is a prominent medium of communication.

The statement also specifies the eligibility criteria and expectations from participants, and mentions two workshops in Menlo Park, California. The company will accept applications sent before August 12.

These developments come after multiple instances of mob lynchings triggered by motivated messages spread through WhatsApp. The messaging platform also supports regional languages that further act as catalysts in the dissemination of messages to the masses.

The government on Tuesday said it has conveyed "in no uncertain terms" that WhatsApp must take immediate action to end this menace and ensure that their platform is not used for such malafide activities.