US tech firms work together to combat virus misinformation

(Reuters) - U.S. technology companies, including Microsoft Corp, Facebook, Alphabet's Google, and Twitter, are working together to quell misinformation about the coronavirus on their platforms, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday.

The companies, which also include LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube, said they were working in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world to share critical updates about the virus.

"We are working closely together on COVID-19 response efforts. We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing crucial updates in coordination with government healthcare agencies around the world," said the joint statement.

The United States has seen a sharp increase in virus cases with more than 3,500 infected, and at least 74 people dead, according to Johns Hopkins University and public health agencies.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni)