With people around the world being told to socially distance themselves, livestreaming platforms are becoming the place for the public to interact—and Facebook Gaming is looking to leverage that for a charitable purpose.
The platform is hosting a COVID-19 charity stream campaign tomorrow, inviting content creators to use their “Charity Livestream” tool to raise money for the United Nations Foundation. In addition, Facebook is advising streamers to share information to viewers about prevention tips.
Earlier this week, Facebook unveiled an information center with news and details regarding the recent pandemic, including guidelines for staying healthy and preventing disease transmission.
Outside of this event, Facebook is also matching donations to the United Nations Foundation up to $10 million as a part of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, created in partnership with the United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization.
All of the money raised as a part of the fund will be used to support the prevention, detection, and response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Facebook Gaming’s move comes about one week after U.S. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency amid the spread of the COVID-19 virus, commonly known as the coronavirus.
As U.S. states have started to regulate the gathering of large groups, many in-person events have been canceled, including numerous significant esports competitions. With healthcare professionals suggesting the practice of “social distancing,” there’s been an influx of people watching livestreams on platforms like Twitch.
