[ad_1]
Copyright of the image
EPA
Instagram says that it will block the hashtags used to broadcast "truthfully false" information about vaccinations.
The social network is already blocking hashtags that are themselves misrepresentations, such as #vaccinescauseautism.
He says that he will now block the more general hashtags used to spread lies by so-called anti-vaxxers.
However, many anti-vaccine topics and accounts spreading misinformation and hoaxes are still active on Instagram.
Hoaxes not hoaxes
Instagram told the BBC that it would take no action against people or accounts that identify as anti-vaxxers.
However, this will help limit the spread of false provable statements as they have adverse effects on the public.
He said he was relying on global authorities such as the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify hoaxes.
False claims such as #vaccinescauseaids and #vaccinesarepoison are already prohibited and do not return any search results on Instagram.
Copyright of the image
Instagram
But the platform will now start blocking the hashtags used to spread misinformation about vaccines.
For example, if the hashtag # vaccines1234 started to be used on false statements, it would also be blocked.
The subject will be hard to control. Anti-vaccination accounts will not be banned and new hashtags such as #vaccineskillandmaim appear when old ones are blocked.
Even neutral or pro-vaccine hashtags such as #vaccines or #vaccineswork are co-opted by anti-vaxxers to spread false statements.
Instagram also plans to broadcast educational pop-up messages to people seeking immunization-related hoaxes.
The platform already posts contextual messages to people searching for drugs or browsing self-injury topics.
In February, YouTube stopped running ads on many popular channels touting anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.
He broke through after protests from companies who discovered that their ads ran parallel to the controversial videos.
The World Health Organization has stated that anti-vaccine opinions were one of the "top ten threats to global health" in 2019.
[ad_2]
Source link