Maldita.es’ WhatsApp Chatbot to thrive a fact-checking operation on disinformation

The Chatbot for WhatsApp developed by Maldita.es involves the work of the entire Maldita.es staff and is a perfect match between journalism and technology focused on user service in a close, easy and user purposed way, since WhatsApp is one of the most used information channels in Europe.

The tool works with a natural language response model for users that, in addition to responding to users, allows data around disinformation to be collected, classified, tracked and analysed to study the spread and operating of misinformation. Maldita.es does not collect user data, only content data.

The chatbot is capable of detecting and responding to disinformation reports in all formats: videos, audio, text and images – that it interprets and sends fact-checked responses.

This has enabled Maldita.es journalists to better serve the community and to be more efficient in the public service they provide. This tool is proof that technology can bring us closer and make journalism help the population and according to WhatsApp itself is the better fact-checking WhatsApp chatbot developed worldwide.

To acces Maldita.es’ tool, you can use the following number in WhatsApp: +34644229319 or use this link.

Tina Xu

Tina Xu was selected for the 2021 European Press Prize shortlist with ‘Rojava Diary’ and for the 2022 European Press Prize shortlist with ’Inside Elephant Territory: How Sri Lankans Are Trying to Mitigate the World’s Deadliest Human-Elephant Conflict.’

Tina Xu is one of the designers working on Outriders interactive articles. She is a designer, videographer, photographer and writer. After studying political science at Wellesley College, she has worked in American broadcast TV, a Southeast Asian sustainable development NGO, and a Chinese magazine. She has freelanced for the media in seven countries. In 2021, she was part of the Outriders’ team which was selected for the 2021 European Press Prize shortlist. She believes that stories must transcend traditional mediums to bridge hearts and cultures effectively and that some more empathy and understanding may save us all.