Facebook is teaming up with a non-profit to help combat the prolific spread of COVID-19 misinformation on the social media platform.
According to Axios, Meedan, a journalism and digital literacy organization, “will host a series of virtual training sessions between its team of doctors, scientists and other health experts and Facebook’s third-party fact-checkers on how to better spot and fact-check misinformation.”
Facebook has spent $84 million in the last five years on fact-checking, employing over 80 partner organizations. Still, the tech giant hosts anti-vaxx propaganda that has contributed to a decline in vaccine uptake.
The Wall Street Journal explains:
The false narratives that Covid-19 vaccines result in widespread death and that the U.S. government is mandating vaccines more than doubled across the major social-media platforms within the past three months, according to Zignal Labs Inc. Others include false claims that vaccines are really microchips and that vaccines change people’s DNA, the media-analytics firm said.
Last week, President Joe Biden called Facebook and other social media companies “killers” for failing to slow the spread of misinformation about vaccines.
Biden has since softened his stance, saying the 12 individuals responsible for 60% of vaccine misinformation are ultimately responsible. Biden added, “My hope is that Facebook, instead of taking it personally that somehow I’m saying Facebook is killing people, that they would do something about the misinformation.”
Axios notes that “Facebook in February said it will take tougher action against claims that vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccination, are not effective or safe. That position was a reversal from its previous position on vaccine misinformation.”
“The reality is that misinformation is still spreading like wildfire in our country, aided and abetted by technology platforms,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said on Sunday. He added that steps Facebook has taken to combat misinformation is “not enough.”
