Social-Media
Facebook would delete the disinformation on the COVID-19 vaccine
Facebook will continue to delete misleading statements regarding COVID-19 vaccinations by reviewing its COVID-19 disinformation policies. The update comes as one COVID-19 vaccine has been approved in the United Kingdom and more authorisations are planned to take effect shortly in the United States and across the world. Yet some researchers say that these kinds of initiatives are coming too late to stem the influx of disinformation about vaccines.
The policy previously included deleting posters with misleading facts about the virus that might contribute to imminent physical harm. Facebook is now extending the policy to cover any post about vaccines that feature statements that have been debunked by public health experts. This involves conspiracy theories such as vaccines having microchips and false claims about protection, effectiveness, ingredien
Facebook states that compliance is not going to happen immediately, and that when evidence about COVID-19 vaccinations grow, the list of statements that constitute exclusion will be revised on a regular basis.
Although even with an updated strategy for post elimination, much of the harm to vaccine myths has already been done.
Anti-vaccination sentiment has often proliferated in small private Facebook communities. Hundreds of smaller groups are more difficult to track and eliminate than bigger ones, and can disperse anti-vaccination messages to groups that do not have a direct relation to conspiracy theorists. Experts are worried that the consistent dissemination of COVID-19 vaccine myths during the pandemic will render citizens more willing to have a vaccine.
During the pandemic, several global platforms were under pressure to tackle COVID-19 disinformation. As far as vaccine-related allegations are concerned, Facebook is behind YouTube, which started deleting videos of the COVID-19 vaccine disinformation in October. As vaccines continue to roll out it will be critical for these sites to enforce strict moderation of the vaccine-related content.
