Facebook to remove false COVID-19 vaccine claims

FILE PHOTO: A worker performs a quality check in the packaging facility of Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech, developing an experimental coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, during a government-organized media tour in Beijing, China, September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

Facebook on Thursday said it would remove posts containing false claims about the COVID-19 vaccine as it tries to manage the flow of disinformation on its platform.

The social media giant regularly removes incorrect and potentially harmful information about the virus and has since October banned advertisements discouraging people from getting vaccinations that could end the pandemic.

“Over the coming weeks, we will start removing false claims about these vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts on Facebook and Instagram,” the company said in a blog post.

“This could include false claims about the safety, efficacy, ingredients or side effects of the vaccines,” including “false claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips, or anything else that isn’t on the official vaccine ingredient list” as well as “conspiracy theories” that have been proven false, Facebook said.

The company said the criteria of posts it considers eligible removal will change based on “guidance from public health authorities as they learn more.”