Facebook to tag all posts about coronavirus vaccine and promote ‘authoritative information’



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Facebook will begin applying labels to all articles on coronavirus vaccines that point users to ‘authoritative information’ as the gigantic social media company scrambles to respond to criticism that it has allowed disinformation on vaccines to proliferate in its platform.

The company said in a blog post on Monday that it had already started adding tags to articles dealing with coronavirus vaccine safety. The labels direct users to Facebook’s Covid-19 clearinghouse, which includes “credible information” from the World Health Organization and will also appear on Facebook-owned Instagram.

Over the next few weeks, Facebook has announced plans to add labels to all articles about coronavirus vaccines, which will direct users around the world to its COVID-19 clearinghouse. More targeted labels on coronavirus vaccine subtopics will be added to other articles.

Additionally, a screen will appear when someone tries to share an article about coronavirus vaccines on Facebook and Instagram that “will provide more information so people have the context they need to make informed decisions on this. that they must share ”.

The company will also take several “temporary measures” to crack down on disinformation about coronaviruses and “potentially harmful” vaccines, including restricting the scope of content from users who have already violated Facebook’s policies on coronavirus disinformation. or repeatedly shared “Debunked as False or Modified.” The restrictions will also be applied to coronavirus or vaccine content classified as ‘Missing Context’ by Facebook’s third-party fact-checking partners.

Users who repeatedly violate Facebook’s policies will be removed from the platform, the company said.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also announced on Monday that the company is launching a global campaign to help people access the coronavirus vaccine. The initiative includes the launch of a tool that shows users when and where they can receive the vaccine and provides a link to make an appointmentt.

“The data shows that vaccines are safe and they work. It is our best hope to overcome this virus and return to normal life. I can’t wait to receive mine, and I hope you are too, ”Zuckerberg wrote in a post on his Facebook page.

Facebook’s efforts come after the company was criticized by lawmakers and others for failing to do more to tackle misinformation on the coronavirus vaccine platform.

However, the new policies are a change from Facebook’s stance last fall, when the company said it would not target posts about the coronavirus vaccine in the same way it cracked down on misinformation. on the coronavirus in general.

“If someone reports a case where a vaccine has caused harm or is concerned about it – you know that’s a hard thing to say from my perspective that you shouldn’t be allowed to express. everything, ”Zuckerberg said. Axios on HBO ”in September.

Zuckerberg also warned at the time that if people “overgeneralize” and “spread disinformation” in a way that could result in “imminent harm,” the company could “try to take action against those. -this”.

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