Facebook Instagram Face MasksSource: The Verge

What you need to know

  • Facebook and Instagram are adding in-app banners to encourage face masks.
  • Users will begin to see the banners in each app starting today.
  • The company is adding them in response to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

In an effort to encourage safe practices during the pandemic, Facebook and Instagram are adding in-app banners to encourage everyone to wear a face mask.

Reported by The Verge, the company announced the addition of the banners to their respective apps on Thursday. Each banner will be placed at the top of the app's main feed and include a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information.

The banners will read as below:

Facebook

Wear a Cloth Face Covering to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 When in public, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering. Learn more at cdc.gov. You can find more presentation tips in the COVID-19 Information Center.

Instagram

Wear a Cloth Face Covering to Help Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 When in public, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering. Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The company is adding the banners in response to the rise of COVID-19 cases across the United States as well as its struggle to contain misinformation on each platform. In addition to social distancing, the CDC is recommending everyone to wear a mask to prevent the spread of the disease.

Several states, including Pennsylvania and Texas, have issued statewide mask mandates that require all citizens to wear a face mask when leaving their homes.