Facebook plans to remove false posts about COVID-19 vaccines

As vaccines to fight the novel coronavirus near deployment, Facebook says it will ramp up its fight against misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines on its social media platforms.

There are no authorized coronavirus vaccines in the U.S. yet, but preparations for distribution are ramping up and drug makers are filing with the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorizations.

With vaccines expected to begin becoming available expected this month, Facebook says it plans to begin removing vaccine misinformation on Facebook and Instagram. “This is another way that we are applying our policy to remove misinformation about the virus that could lead to imminent physical harm,” the company said in a blog post Thursday.

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The platforms plan to remove false vaccine claims that have been debunked by public health experts on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook has a coronavirus information site that includes a discussion earlier this week between Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 

Among the misinformation online, as far back as June, was the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 vaccinations would be part of a global plot by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to implant microchips in everyone.

“We will remove false claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips, or anything else that isn’t on the official vaccine ingredient list,” Facebook said. “We will also remove conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines that we know today are false: like specific populations are being used without their consent to test the vaccine’s safety.”

However, the sites won’t immediately begin enforcing the policy. “Since it’s early and facts about COVID-19 vaccines will continue to evolve, we will regularly update the claims we remove based on guidance from public health authorities as they learn more,” Facebook said. 

In the recent past, Facebook has taken similar steps to crack down on misinformation about climate change and the November U.S. elections. Early on in the coronavirus pandemic, Facebook began posting COVID-19 news and facts atop news feeds.

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.

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