In the age of surplus content, Facebook (now Meta) is battling the surplus of false news, provocative content, hate speech, and the celebration of violence. So far, this is how Facebook is handling covid-19 disinformation.
COVID-19 disinformation and social media
Research shows the propagation of covid-19 disinformation and skepticisms around vaccination allowed in several profiles and groups on both Instagram and Facebook. While the numbers of such spaces may be low, these accounts and groups have accumulated over 370,000 followers in a year.
Here’s what’s happening. Posts in Facebook groups claiming children are “murdered by the experimental jab they’re being pressured to take” are increasing. Additionally, an Instagram account is promoting an Andrew Wakefield documentary. Wakefield is a key contact in promoting disproved links between autism and MMR inoculation. To help in combating covid-19 disinformation, NewsGuard, a group monitoring internet disinformation is tracking about 20 pages, groups, and accounts.
WHO and NewsGuard interfere
Now, at the request of the World Health Organization (WHO), NewsGuard is submitting repeated alerts since September 2020. The organization now alerts the WHO with details of social media sites and online platforms. They reveal sharing of misleading information on the coronavirus. Following NewsGuard’s alerts, an attorney general from 14 US states issued a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook. The letter requests the main disseminators of covid-19 misinformation to highlight that it needed extra treatment.
Additionally, the need for investigation increased after Frances Haugen, a Facebook whistleblower revealed that Facebook has a mechanism to exemption for high-profile users. Facebook’s internal papers also reveal that high-profile users have leeway for regulations.