• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, March 17, 2020

Microsoft, Twitter, Google, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn have issued a joint statement saying that they are “working closely together” on COVID-19 response efforts, “including combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.” 

The platforms and their parent companies also “invite other companies to join us as we work to keep our communities healthy and safe,” said the statement. 

U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios held a remote meeting last Wednesday with representatives of the major tech companies — also including Apple, Amazon, IBM and Cisco — to  coordinate fighting misinformation, track travelers and other data-driven functions, and possibly help with analyzing medical research. 

One frequent source of misinformation has been President Trump, as in his recent public statement making Verily’s regional screening site sound like a resource about to be broadly available.

Most of the tech companies have posted blogs outlining their individual efforts to keep their own employees safe, as well as fight false or misleading content on their platforms.