- Facebook Inc said it removed over three dozen pages spreading misinformation about COVID - 19 vaccines, after the White House called on social media firms to tighten controls on pandemic-related facts shared on their platforms.
Companies like YouTube, Twitter and Google have come under scrutiny from the Biden administration for the alarming spread https: www.reuters.com technology white-house - sees-youtube - Facebook-judge - jury-executioner - vaccine misinformation - 2021 - 07 - 23 of this information, which has hit the pace of immunization in a country where many are hostile to being vaccinated.
A recent report https: www.counterhate. com disinfosequel from the Center for Countering Digital Hate showed twelve anti-vaccine accounts are spreading nearly two-thirds of anti-vaccina misinformation online.
Facebook disputed the methodology behind the report, but said on Wednesday that it deleted more than three dozen pages, groups and messages on social media from these 12 people for violating its policies.
We also imposed penalties on nearly two dozen additional Pages, groups or accounts linked to these 12 people, Facebook wrote in a blogpost https: about.fb.com news 2021 08 taking action against vaccine misinformation-superspreaders titled How we are Taking Action Against Vaccine Misinformation Superspreaders.
Some of the main pieces of vaccine misinformation that the Biden administration is fighting include that the COVID 19 vaccines are ineffective, false claims that they carry microchips and that they hurt women's fertility, a White House official had said last month.