FACEBOOK

WILL NOW BAN ALL

VACCINATION INFOMATION

By

Søren Nielsen

2021

Facebook Inc. said it will ban all dubious information regarding vaccines, whether related to COVID-19 vaccines or any others, starting today.

For years now the company has responded to criticism that it has done enough to stamp out anti-vaccination content. 

In March 2019, Facebook promised to promote authoritative information about vaccines while banning ads containing vaccine misinformation. 

Last year, it said it would remove content that persuades people not to get vaccinated. 

This was prior to there being a COVID-19 vaccine.

Facebook also started taking down content related to the pandemic that contained dubious information and even began informing people if they had interacted with such information. 

This included misinformation about certain cures for COVID-19 and spurious content regarding immunity.

Now the social network has taken things a bit further, saying today that any anti-vax content will not be allowed on Facebook or Instagram. 

This includes posts that promote the idea that vaccines cause autism, and it includes content that tells people it’s safer to get COVID-19 than it is to receive one of the vaccines currently available.

Working with the World Health Organization, Facebook has updated its policies on what someone can say about COVID-19 on its platforms. 

The change includes "content calling to action, advocating, or promoting that others not get the COVID-19 vaccine." 

It also includes any denial of the virus’ severity or statements that it doesn’t exist.

It’s not uncommon to see posts on Facebook that claim it does exist but is only as severe as a common cold or the seasonal flu. 

From now on, such posts will be verboten, as will any content that states the number of COVID-19 deaths is much lower than has been reported by government agencies.

Anti-mask posts will also be banned, as will any content concerning 5G conspiracy theories and posts that claim social distancing doesn’t help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In addition, the company said content will not be allowed that states COVID-19 vaccines kill or seriously harm people, change people’s DNA or cause infertility. 

"Incredulous or irrational" information regarding side effects will be taken down and so will "false claims about the safety, efficacy, ingredients and development" of COVID-19 vaccines.

As for the conspiracy theory that the vaccination is related to a population cull, those will be taken down, too, as will any content that states COVID-19 was manufactured.

"Building trust and confidence in these vaccines is critical, so we’re launching the largest worldwide campaign to help public health organizations share accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines and encourage people to get vaccinated as vaccines become available to them," Facebook said in a blog post. 

The company added that it will concentrate not only on removing misinformation but on actively helping people find ways to get a vaccination.

That effort will include giving 120 million dollars worth of ad credits to health ministries, non governmental organizations and U.N. agencies so they can reach more people with vaccine information, as well as promoting the COVID-19 Information Center so people can easily find out their eligibility for the vaccine.