Facebook Bans Debunked Claims About COVID Vaccines

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As governments around the world prepare to approve the first coronavirus vaccines, social media companies are cracking down on hoaxes and conspiracy theories.

Ashley Landis/AP

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Ashley Landis/AP

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The approach to COVID vaccines is a departure from Facebook’s general approach to vaccine misinformation. The company has made false claims about other vaccines less visible on its platform, but stopped short of removing them. In October, it banned anti-vaccination ads.

Facebook said it was extending the policy because COVID vaccines will soon be rolled out around the world. The U.K. became the first country to approve a vaccine this week, with the first doses expected to be available next week. Regulators in the U.S. are expected to approve vaccines before the end of the year.

On Monday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company would show users «authoritative information about vaccines. It’s adding a section to its coronavirus information center — a section of its site that promotes credible sources — with details about how vaccines are tested and approved.

YouTube, owned by Google, and TikTok also have said they will remove false claims about COVID vaccines.

Despite efforts by Facebook and other platforms to curb the spread of hoaxes and conspiracy theories, misinformation about the pandemic has still spread widely on social media this year.

Editor’s note: Facebook, Google and TikTok are among NPR’s financial supporters.