Facebook Will Block Accounts That Spread COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation

Illustration of the COVID-19 (Unsplash) vaccine

JAKARTA - After seemed to have allowed the spread of misinformation related to the COVID-19 vaccine for so long, the social media giant, Facebook, has finally taken firm action. With the help of the World Health Organization (WHO), the company is expanding the scope of information that will be banned on the platform.

Now, users can access prohibited types of information through the COVID-19 Policy Update & Protection document. Some types of content that are prohibited include content that supports the spread of COVID-19, supports face-to-face meetings or events that conflict with government health guidelines, and content that coordinates live events or meetings.

In addition to that, the types of content that get the most attention are also prohibited. Namely, content that states that COVID-19 is human-made and content that states that it is safer to be exposed to the virus instead of getting a vaccine.

The company's update to protect Facebook from vaccine misinformation is to remove any content that claims vaccines are poisonous and can cause autism.

For the initial stage, Facebook will apply the new rules to every page, group, or until new accounts are found to be violating. Meanwhile, for accounts that have repeatedly violated the new rules, Facebook confirmed that it will implement a permanent block.

The company also asked group moderators who previously passed misinformation related to vaccines and COVID-19 to implement stricter rules regarding what posts can appear. If the moderator passes the post, the fact-checking platform will automatically start working to check the information that was shared.

"If the information is confirmed to be false or misleading, then Facebook will give a special label and take down the post", the company explained, following the COVID-19 Policy & Protection Update document.

Disburse funds of 120 million US dollars

Apart from affirming its stance on false and misleading information, Facebook said that they would take additional steps to convey correct information to users. As Google has done, Facebook will also help show locations where users can get vaccines.

Starting this week, Facebook's COVID-19 Information Center will also include links to local health authorities. By accessing detailed information on official sources, it is hoped that users will be able to obtain vaccines quickly and precisely.

"This new policy will help us take active steps against misinformation related to COVID-19 and vaccines", said Facebook Head of Health, Kang-Xing Jin, via Facebook Newsroom, Monday, February 8.

To support this step, Kang-Xing Jin revealed that his party had disbursed USD 120 million in advertising credit to local health authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the United Nations.

"We also provide training and support for these organizations so that they can work and convey correct information to the public", said Kang.