Facebook has promised to cage the misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine, but it’s easy to find misleading messages

Facebook has promised to cage the misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine, but it’s easy to find misleading messages

by
Facebook has been struggling for years with addressing anti-vaxxer content. Late last year, it introduced new rules to tackle Covid-19 misinformation against vaccines after promising two years ago to reduce the spread of anti-vaxxer content. But misleading and terrifying content about the Covid vaccines, as well as outright misinformation, is still spreading on the platform at a time when interests may not be higher: misinformation about the vaccine could mean life or death.

Four of the top 10 search results for ‘vaccine’ on Instagram owned by Facebook were for anti-vaccination accounts, including ‘vaccination truth’, ‘vaccine freedom’, ‘anti-vaccine knowledge consequences’ and ‘cv19 vaccine reactions’, according to a series of searches by CNN done Businesses from various Instagram handles started two weeks ago.

Shortly afterwards, Instagram updated its search interface on mobile devices to display three credible results, including the CDC’s account, followed by a “See more results” prompt. Users who click on the option then get a number of anti-vaccination bills, which is probably the digital equivalent of moving the clutter in a bedroom under the bed.

Some of these accounts have been followed up by a significant amount, raising the question of whether Instagram presents them as a best result for users simply looking for vaccine information has helped them grow an audience. The “cv19vaccinereations” account, dedicated to documenting claims about adverse drug reactions, boasts more than 77,000 followers. The account often shares unfounded reports and insinuates unproven links between people receiving the Covid-19 vaccine and major health events, including a stroke or a miscarriage.

The fact that some of this anti-waxx content continues to lurk on the platforms highlights a controversial distinction in Facebook’s approach: A company spokesman says Facebook specifically distinguishes between incorrect information about vaccines, to which it does apply, and posts that express a more general anti-vaccine sentiment, which allow it on the platform.

In December, Facebook said it would remove allegations of coronavirus vaccines rejected by public health officials, including unfounded conspiracy theories that it contained microchips. Previously, Facebook’s policies prohibited misinformation about Covid-19 that ‘contributes to the risk of imminent violence or physical harm’.

Public health experts have said they fear that misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines and the vaccination against vaccination in general on social media could lead to people not getting the chance. “If they are scared away by lies being perpetrated through social media, we will have a real problem getting out of this pandemic,” said Dr. LJ Tan, chief strategic officer of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), said.

Joe Osborne, a Facebook spokesman, said the company is working to reduce ‘the number of people who see false information’ about vaccines, and is trying to do more to address other misleading vaccine content that falls outside of this policy. ‘

Osborne added that the company removes claims about the Covid-19 vaccine uncovered by public health experts and adds labels and reduces the spread of other misinformation that is considered false by its third-party fact-checking.

When a measles outbreak spread back and forth across the U.S. nearly two years ago, Facebook promised to combat misinformation against vaccines by limiting the reach of such content on its platforms, but stopped banning it altogether. In March 2019, Facebook said it would ‘reduce the ranking of groups and pages that spread misinformation about vaccinations’ by not including it in recommendations or predictions when users type in the search bar. But two months later, CNN Business found that Instagram still serves up posts of anti-vaccination bills and anti-vaccination hashtags to anyone looking for the word ‘vaccines’.
While Facebook removed a large private group dedicated to anti-vaccine content in November 2020, CNN Business found that more than 20 anti-waxxer groups remain on the platform, with several hundred to tens of thousands of users. (The company said the group he removed in November was flagged for violating its recurrence policy – which prevents group administrators from creating another group similar to the one the company removed, as well as violates its policy against the QAnon conspiracy.)

While searching for the word “vaccine” on Facebook’s group features last week, three of the top 20 results that appeared through the platform led to groups promoting anti-vaccine content, including groups called “Say No Covid 19 Vaccine” , “COVID-19 Vaccine” Injury Stories “and” Vaccine Talk: A Forum for Both Pro and Anti Vaxxers “- which has more than 50,000 members. The list varies. A few days later none of these groups were in the top -20, but results 18 to 20 showed groups discussing side effects of the vaccine or adverse reactions.To browse further, it was easy to find other anti-waxxer groups in the search results, including one titled “Unvaccinated and bleeding”, which is widely and consistently denied in describing vaccines being linked to autism and other disorders and diseases, it is unclear what makes Facebook’s search recommendations possible and why the results change from day to day. After repeated requests, Facebook e for comment not given a clear explanation.

Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health School, called misinformation on vaccines on social media “very dangerous” and said it could have “serious consequences”.

“We’re in a race with the virus,” she said. “We need everyone who qualifies for the vaccines to be vaccinated as soon as possible.”

One public Facebook group, which has more than 58,000 members, is devoted to reports of alleged ‘vaccine injuries and reactions’. Several recent posts on the group’s page contain links marked by Facebook’s independent fact checkers as ‘false information’, or have a label that says: Missing context. Independent fact checkers say this information can mislead people. ‘One link shared by independent fact-checkers and branded as false – claims that 53 people died in Gibraltar due to the Covid-19 vaccine. Despite the warning labels, members of the group continue to use these links, expressing their doubts about Facebook’s fact-checkers and sharing unfounded stories or theories about vaccination that are dangerous.

“A story does not have to be accurate to change plan. That’s what we’re fighting now,” Tan of IAC said. “In the age of the internet, science is not the most compelling story.”

El-Sadr in Columbia has warned people to be wary of anecdotes or individual stories they read in such Facebook groups – which may or may not be true, or have a link to the vaccine.

“The vast majority of people have had completely unwanted vaccinations so far,” she said. “We need to remind people of this. These vaccines have a very safe profile and are incredibly effective.”

.Source