Vaccine misinformation has been around since well before the pandemic.
However, making sure that conspiracies don’t get posted online is more crucial than ever as the world tries to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Facebook says it is scaling up its crackdown on incorrect claims while posting more information about how and where to get vaccinations, reports NPR.
The social media company will not allow users to post bogus claims about how the shots are dangerous, toxic or cause autism. Facebook will also take down posts that contend that the vaccines are ineffective.
In addition to banning false claims, Facebook will post information about the inoculations from reliable sources.
“Health officials and health authorities are in the early stages of trying to vaccinate the world against COVID-19, and experts agree that rolling this out successfully is going to be helping build confidence in vaccines,” Kang-Xing Jin, Facebook’s head of health, said.
By doing this, Jin believes this will be more effective in fighting misinformation.
“We know that misinformation thrives in the absence of good information,” he said. “So because of this, a core part of our strategy is actually partnering with health authorities and amplifying credible information to meet people’s needs and get their questions answered where they are.”
Related
In April, Facebook began covering the health pandemic as it builds on the existing hub to bring users closer to their neighbors and allows them to ask or offer assistance.
The features of the page are completely customizable and include filters to specify a person’s location within 50 miles or less, a button to choose whether they want to give or receive help, and categories in which you can to contribute (baby supplies, business support, food, volunteer, etc.).
Users can then create posts stating what they need help with (example: getting groceries) or what they want to offer (example: go get someone’s groceries) or they can simply respond to pre-existing posts to offer help.
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