KUCHING: The federal government is set to introduce a WhatsApp Chatbot for users to verify the authenticity of shared news in a bid to address the spread of unverified information and fake news on WhatsApp.
Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the initiative aims to combat the dissemination of misinformation through the popular messaging platform.
He said this would allow users to forward any received text to the Chatbot for verification, with responses provided within seconds.
“We are now already in the last phase to implement the WhatsApp Chatbot. Personally, I have tested the application and it is very good. It is also equipped with multiple languages to facilitate the people.
“If we are able to, we will be launching it next week, but if not, we will launch it slightly later,” he said.
He said this when attending the ‘Jelajah Hawana 2024’ (Dialogue with Students) at the Sarawak State Library here today (May 25).
While revealing that the Chatbot does not have an official name yet, Fahmi mentioned that he has requested developers to incorporate a feature for verifying videos and images as well.
“That will be an upcoming feature. For now, as I tested, we can verify any text of information or fake news forwarded to us. And for the security of the Chatbot, so far, there is no issue on it.
“While waiting for the launch, I hope that Malaysians are always careful with whatever information that they share or receive. If you are unsure of the content, do not share it,” he stressed.
