The Coronavirus pandemic has gripped the whole world, including India in fear as the number of infected people and deaths due to the same is increasing exponentially. India itself has registered more than 42,500 cases with 1373 deaths and 11,707 recoveries by May 3.
Medical and healthcare professionals are doing their best in order to save as many lives as they can. However, on the flip side, lots of false information has been circulating on social media and on WhatsApp.
Herbal cures for coronavirus infection, communal content, audio clips declaring national emergency are a few examples of rampant circulation of fake news and this has caused some cases of panic amongst common folks.
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In order to make people aware of the disadvantages of sharing such information which is not true and what are the consequences of doing so, TikTok, the famous short video app has released the 'Mat kar forward' campaign.
The infomercial is directed by Anurag Basu and features celebrities like Virat Kohli, Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Sara Ali Khan, who talk about how dangerous the virus is and how easily it can spread. As the video progresses, it is revealed that they are talking about misinformation and fake news which often pushes people into making ill-informed choices, eroding trust and impacting communities.
Nikhil Gandhi, TikTok India head, said, "Spread of misinformation is an industry-wide concern and a shared responsibility...we continue to take proactive steps to prioritize the safety and well-being of our communities. #MatKarForward is part of our ongoing initiatives to raise awareness around the spread of misinformation and to maintain a safe and positive environment for our users."
The campaign was shot by the cast at their respective homes and then edited by Basu to adhere to the government's guidelines on social distancing.
Virat Kohli, the Indian captain shared the video of the campaign on his Instagram account with the caption,” Fight the virus with me | #MatKarForward All of you support us with such fervour when we play for the nation. But now the nation needs you, me, all of us to play for it. Will you do your bit? #MatKarForward Link in Bio. @indiatiktok”
