Facebook Thinks Everybody Should Wear Face Masks

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect our lives in a number of different ways, there’s a debate about whether everybody should be wearing face masks. Some people say face coverings help stop the spread, while others think they do more harm than good.

In the US, face masks have become a political issue. However, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommending people wear face masks in public, Facebook is reminding users to cover their faces to “prevent the spread of COVID-19”.

Facebook Reminds Users to Wear Face Masks

In a post on the Facebook Newsroom, the social network outlines some of the things it’s doing to keep people “safe and informed about the coronavirus”. One of which is placing alerts at the top of Facebook and Instagram reminding people to wear face masks.

With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US, we’re putting an alert at the top of @facebookapp and @instagram to remind everyone to wear face coverings and find more prevention tips from the CDC in our COVID-19 Information Center. #WearAMask pic.twitter.com/lD29oACjoB

— Facebook (@Facebook) July 2, 2020

On both Facebook and Instagram this alert will tell people to, “Wear a cloth face covering to help prevent the spread of COVID-19”. Users will also be directed to Facebook’s COVID-19 Information Center and the CDC website for more information on face coverings.

These alerts are only going to appear for users in the US (at least for now). This is due to “the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US.” And whatever you personally attribute that rise to, anything that can help flatten the curve once again is surely a good thing.

Facebook Wants You to Get the Facts on Coronavirus

While the wearing of face masks has become a political issue, especially in the US, this isn’t Facebook taking sides and pushing its own agenda. Instead, the social network is taking its cue from the CDC, a federal agency set up to protect public health.

This also isn’t Facebook’s first attempt to educate and inform the public about COVID-19. In April 2020, in an effort to counter some of the wild conspiracy theories flying around online, the social network invited users to get the facts on coronavirus.

Image Credit: The National Guard/Flickr

Read the full article: Facebook Thinks Everybody Should Wear Face Masks

Read Full Article