In March, the Centre for Counter-Digital Hate (CCDH) published a report online linking two-thirds of vaccine misinformation to 12 individuals. Those statistics are widely cited, including by lawmakers and government officials, as evidence that Facebook has failed to control lies about the COVID-19 vaccine. Facebook announced that reduce the distribution of anti-vaccine groups and pages in recommendations and search.
Now, five months later, Facebook says it has banned more than 36 accounts, groups, and pages associated with these “misleading superspreaders”. The company says it has taken other steps to make other content related to these individuals less visible.
Facebook said in a statement that, “We have also imposed penalties on nearly two dozen additional Pages, groups or accounts linked to these 12 people, like moving their posts lower in News Feed so fewer people see them or not recommending them to others.”
The latest statement from the social network states that “there is no evidence” to support the report’s that 73% of vaccine misinformation is related to the groups, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Joseph Mercola, Del Bigtree, and other prominent anti-vaccine activists. However, this report has become a headache for the company because last month the U.S. Surgeon General warned the public about vaccine misinformation online in a health advisory note. In all, the company removed nearly 3,000 groups, pages, and accounts for repeated violations of the laws against covid-19 and for misrepresentation of the vaccine during an epidemic.
CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed said in a statement that Facebook had badly portrayed the research. Facebook has misrepresented the CCDH and anti-wax watch research while continuing to withhold data showing how many users have received false information about vaccine reluctance.
In March, the Centre for Counter-Digital Hate (CCDH) published a report online linking two-thirds of vaccine misinformation to 12 individuals. Those statistics are widely cited, including by lawmakers and government officials, as evidence that Facebook has failed to control lies about the COVID-19 vaccine. Facebook announced that reduce the distribution of anti-vaccine groups and pages in recommendations and search.
Now, five months later, Facebook says it has banned more than 36 accounts, groups, and pages associated with these “misleading superspreaders”. The company says it has taken other steps to make other content related to these individuals less visible.
Facebook said in a statement that, “We have also imposed penalties on nearly two dozen additional Pages, groups or accounts linked to these 12 people, like moving their posts lower in News Feed so fewer people see them or not recommending them to others.”
The latest statement from the social network states that “there is no evidence” to support the report’s that 73% of vaccine misinformation is related to the groups, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Joseph Mercola, Del Bigtree, and other prominent anti-vaccine activists. However, this report has become a headache for the company because last month the U.S. Surgeon General warned the public about vaccine misinformation online in a health advisory note. In all, the company removed nearly 3,000 groups, pages, and accounts for repeated violations of the laws against covid-19 and for misrepresentation of the vaccine during an epidemic.
CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed said in a statement that Facebook had badly portrayed the research. Facebook has misrepresented the CCDH and anti-wax watch research while continuing to withhold data showing how many users have received false information about vaccine reluctance.
