Facebook said Monday that it intends to remove reports with erroneous vaccine claims from across the platform, including taking down allegations that vaccines cause autism, or that it is safer for people to get Covid-19 than to take the to receive vaccinations.
The social network has increasingly changed its content policy over the past year as the coronavirus has risen. In October, the social network banned people and companies from buying ads that contained false or misleading information about vaccines. In December, Facebook said it would remove posts with claims dropped by the World Health Organization or government agencies.
Monday’s move goes further by targeting unpaid posts on the site and especially Facebook pages and groups. Instead of targeting only incorrect information about Covid vaccines, the update contains false claims about all vaccines. Facebook said it had consulted with the World Health Organization and other leading health care institutions to determine a list of false or misleading allegations surrounding Covid and vaccinations in general.
In the past, Facebook has said that it will only amount to a lower position in the news facts of people, misleading or false allegations about vaccines, making it harder to find such groups or posts. Now, posts, pages, and groups containing such scams will be completely removed from the platform.
“Building trust and confidence in these vaccines is crucial, which is why we are launching the largest global campaign to help public health organizations share accurate information about Covid-19 vaccines and encourage people to be vaccinated. as vaccines become available, “said Kang-Xing. Jin, head of health at Facebook, said in a blog post of the company.
The company said the changes respond to a recent decision by the Facebook Oversight Board, an independent body that reviews the decisions of the company’s policy team and determines whether they are fair. In one ruling, the council said Facebook should set a new standard for misinformation about health because the current rules are “inappropriately vague”.
Facebook also said it would give $ 120 million in advertising credits to health ministries, non-governmental organizations and agencies of the United Nations to help distribute reliable Covid-19 vaccine and preventative health information. As vaccination centers develop more widely, Facebook said it would help refer people to places where they could receive the vaccine.
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, was proactive against false information regarding the coronavirus. He regularly spoke to dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, offered on Facebook to provide live video updates on the US response to Covid. In his private philanthropy, Mr. Zuckerberg also promises to ‘eradicate all diseases’, committing billions to fighting viruses and other diseases.
But Mr. Zuckerberg was also an ardent supporter of freedom of speech on Facebook and was previously reluctant to contain most lies, even if it was potentially dangerous. The exception was Facebook’s policy of not tolerating statements that could lead to ‘immediate, direct bodily harm’ to people on or off the platform.
Facebook has been criticized for the stance, in part because it allowed President Donald J. Trump to remain on the platform until after the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Public health advocates and outside critics have for years objected to Facebook’s refusal to remove false or misleading allegations about vaccines and to leave anti-vaccination groups untouched. This has led to an increase in fake vaccine information, often from people or groups who have spread other harmful misinformation about the site. Even when Facebook tried to update its policy, it left loopholes exploited by disseminators of misinformation.
Facebook said Monday it will also change its search tools to promote relevant, authoritative results on Covid and vaccine-related information, while making it harder to find accounts that discourage people from being vaccinated.