Facebook 3u5dl Twitter Must Do More to Stop COVID-19 Anti-Vaxxers: US States

Facebook and Twitter were called upon to enforce their own community guidelines by removing or flagging vaccine misinformation. 6p482v

By Reuters | Updated: 25 March 2021 10:50 IST

Facebook spokeswoman said the company has removed millions of pieces of vaccine misinformation 4465s

Highlights

Anti-vaxxers control 65 percent of anti-vaccine content on Facebook
Twitter said it has removed more than 22,400 tweets
Zuckerman, Dorsey, and Sundar Pichai are scheduled to testify on Thursday

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Attorneys general for 12 US states on Wednesday accused Facebook and Twitter of doing too little to stop people from using their platforms to spread false information that coronavirus vaccines are unsafe.

In a letter toCOVID-19 and exaggerate the risks of vaccination.

They called on both companies to enforce their own community guidelines by removing or flagging vaccine misinformation.

Twitter Tackles COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation With Labels, Strike Policy

The letter said anti-vaxxers control 65 percent of public anti-vaccine content on Facebook, Google's YouTube.

It also said some misinformation targets Blacks and other communities of colour where vaccination rates are lagging.

"Given anti-vaxxers' reliance on your platforms, you are uniquely positioned to prevent the spread of misinformation about coronavirus vaccines that poses a direct threat to the health and safety of millions of Americans in our states and that will prolong our road to recovery," the letter said.

Facebook to Label All Posts About COVID-19 Vaccines

Facebook spokeswoman Dani Lever said the company has removed millions of pieces of COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation, and tries to combat "vaccine hesitancy" by regularly directing s to reliable information from health authorities.

Twitter said it has removed more than 22,400 tweets in connection with its policy toward COVID-19 posts, and prioritises removing content that could cause "real-world" harm.

Wednesday's letter was signed by the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

Zuckerman, Dorsey, and Alphabet, are scheduled to testify on Thursday before two House of Representatives subcommittees about combating online disinformation.

The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 124 million people worldwide, and caused more than 2.7 million deaths.

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