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Facebook says it will crack down on false claims about COVID vaccines

The social media giant says that will include ‘conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines that we know today are false.’

Photo of Andrew Wyrich

Andrew Wyrich

Facebook Coronavirus COVID Vaccine
Shutterstock (Licensed)

Facebook announced on Thursday that it will soon begin removing false claims about coronavirus vaccines that have been debunked.

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The company said the removal will come “over the coming weeks” and will include posts that have been “debunked by public health experts.”

“This is another way that we are applying our policy to remove misinformation about the virus that could lead to imminent physical harm,” the company said in a blog post.

Facebook specifically cited claims that the coronavirus vaccine includes microchips or “anything that isn’t on the official vaccine ingredient list.” It also said it will remove “conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines that we know today are false.”

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The company added: “Since it’s early and facts about COVID-19 vaccines will continue to evolve, we will regularly update the claims we remove based on guidance from public health authorities as they learn more.”

The coronavirus vaccine has become the subject of numerous conspiracy theories, including that the various ones being worked on were delayed as a way to hurt President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

The move from Facebook comes just a few months after it made a similar vaccination-related announcement. In October, the social media giant said it was banning all ads that contained anti-vaccination messages, an addition to an already existing policy that banned ads that were identified as a hoax by health organizations.