Countries across the world are scrambling to roll out Covid-19 vaccines as quickly as possible.
Yet scepticism towards vaccines, and the pandemic in general, is affecting many countries. In Luxembourg, for instance, around 200 people protested against the government’s coronavirus measures on Saturday afternoon.
In this climate it can be difficult to obtain accurate information. Google have launched the snappily titled Covid-19 Vaccine Counter-Misinformation Open Fund to try and address this issue.
In a statement, Google News and Information Credibility Lead Alexios Mantzarlis said:
“While the Covid-19 infodemic has been global in nature, misinformation has also been used to target specific populations.
Some of the available research also suggests that the audiences coming across misinformation and those seeking fact checks don’t necessarily overlap.”
Google’s proposed solution is an Open Fund, which is accepting applications from any project which aims to “broaden the audience of fact checks, particularly with those who may be disproportionately affected by misinformation in mind.”
The Fund is open to all global news organisations - large and small - which have a track record of fact-checking and fighting misinformation, or who are able to partner with such an organisation.
Applications will be reviewed by a global panel of 14 jurors, including individuals representing fact-checking organisations, academia, science and technology.
