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Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy acknowledged that Big Tech had taken “positive steps” to tackle misinformation about coronavirus vaccines, but “not enough” – amid President Biden’s accusation that Facebook is “killing people” by not ridding its platform of inaccurate information.
Murthy was asked about CNN’s “State of the Union” about Facebook’s statement in response, saying the White House is looking for a scapegoat to blame for the delay in vaccinations and saying administration officials have praised the work of the social media giant.
“I’ve been very consistent in what I’ve said to tech companies, and I’ve spoken with a number of them over the past few months, and so have my team. And what we’ve actually said is that when we see actions that are good, that are being taken, we have to recognize them. And these tech companies have taken positive steps, ”he told host Dana Bash, noting that some were promoting material from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“But what I also told them, in public and in private, is that it is not enough. That we still see a proliferation of misinformation online, and we know that health misinformation harms people’s health. It costs them their lives, ”said Murthy.
He said misinformation disseminated online confuses people trying to find accurate medical and health information – which can have deadly consequences.
“I’ve seen this as a doctor over the years as patients grapple with health misinformation. And here’s the key takeaway: Health misinformation robs us of our freedom and power to make decisions for ourselves and for our families, ”he said.
“And that’s a problem, and these platforms need to recognize that they have played a major role in increasing the speed and scale with which disinformation spreads,” Murthy said.
Biden was questioned last Friday on Facebook and other media allowing misinformation to spread amid declining vaccination rates and rising coronavirus cases.
“They kill people. The only pandemic we have is the unvaccinated one. And they are killing people, ”the president told reporters.
His comments came shortly after White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration “regularly” worked with social media platforms to block the flow of bad news.
“We regularly make sure that social media platforms are up to date with the latest dangerous public health stories that we and many other Americans see across all social and mainstream media,” Psaki said during the White House briefing.
“There are about 12 people who produce 65% anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms,” she said.
Facebook released a statement lambasting the president’s comments and praising themselves for letting their users know about the pandemic.
“We will not be distracted by accusations that are not supported by the facts,” a Facebook spokesperson said.
“The point is, over 2 billion people have viewed authoritative information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than any other place on the Internet.”
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Murthy was asked if the White House’s coordination with the Silicon Valley titans smacks of Big Brother.
Murthy said many Americans are bewildered by the competing information – both correct and inaccurate.
“They don’t know what to do to protect their children, to protect their elderly parents, to protect themselves. And what we are all entitled to is accurate information so that we can make the right decisions for ourselves and for our families. … This is not the reality for far too many people. But they are inundated with misinformation, ”he told Fox News.
“And all of us – tech companies, individuals, healthcare professionals, and government – have a role they can play in combating and slowing the spread of disinformation,” he said.
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