Facebook said Friday that it’s working to limit the spread of misinformation and harmful content about the coronavirus.
Kang-Xing Jin, Facebook’s head of health, said in a blog post that the social media company’s fact-checkers are reviewing content and debunking false claims related to the coronavirus. Facebook is also removing content with false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by global health organizations and local health authorities, particularly focusing on claims designed to discourage treatment or taking appropriate precautions.
Jin said Facebook is coordinating with health organizations to make accurate information about the virus easier for its users to find. People will be able to get relevant and timely information through messages on top of Facebook’s News Feed. Facebook will also block or limit hashtags used to spread misinformation on Instagram, which it owns.
The company has struggled to contain the spread of propaganda and hoaxes about the virus, which the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency earlier this week. As CBS News previously reported, some false posts about the outbreak remain on the social media network, despite being flagged as fake by outside fact-checking organizations.
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One false post claiming that a coronavirus vaccine has been patented remained on Facebook for more than a week. The post now appears with a gray overlay that says its claims have been debunked.
