Engadget
Why you can trust us

Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.

Facebook pledges to remove COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

The company is also reportedly updating its hate speech detection algorithms.

Kris Holt
·Contributing Reporter
·1 min read
Javier Zayas Photography via Getty Images

Following similar moves by YouTube and TikTok, Facebook has pledged to remove misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. As health agencies across the world start to approve vaccines, the company said false claims about them that have been debunked by public health experts will be deleted from Facebook and Instagram.

This is a stricter enforcement of a policy that targets misinformation about COVID-19 that may “lead to imminent physical harm," such as the promotion of false cures. Facebook gave examples of the incorrect claims it will remove, such as ones suggesting vaccines contain microchips, or those about the "safety, efficacy, ingredients or side effects of the vaccines."

Facebook said it won't be able to fully enforce these measures right away. "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," it wrote in a blog post. Facebook noted it's providing details about vaccines from "authoritative sources of information" via the COVID-19 Information Center.

The company previously banned anti-vaccine ads at a broader level. In the past, Facebook has removed false claims about the polio vaccine in Pakistan and the measles vaccine in Samoa.

Meanwhile, Facebook is seemingly evolving its moderation practices on another front. Documents obtained by the Washington Post suggest the company is in the early stages of reworking its algorithms that detect hate speech. Facebook is reportedly trying to make its systems better at locating and automatically removing the “worst of the worst” of hateful language. That’s said to include slurs directed at people of color, the LGBTQ community and Jewish people.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Kim Jong-un leads North Korea rocket drills that 'simulate nuclear counterattack'

    Report comes a day after South Korean and Japanese militaries detected North firing suspected multiple short-range ballistic missiles

  • Rwanda Bill LIVE: Parliament showdown begins as Rishi Sunak says first flights to leave in 10 to 12 weeks

    MPs have begun debating the Lords’ amendments and the parliamentary back-and-forth is set to go on late into evening

  • London deli that counts Harry Styles and Paul McCartney as customers warns Brexit rules hitting business

    Panzer's delicatessen in St John’s Wood has lost 37 suppliers from the European Union since Britain left the single market in 2021

  • Tensions between Beijing and Washington are the biggest worry for US companies in China, report says

    TOKYO — Simmering tensions between Beijing and Washington remain the top worry for American companies operating in China, according to a report by the American Chamber of Commerce in China released Tuesday. The survey of U.S. companies said inconsistent and unclear policies and enforcement, rising labor costs and data security issues were other top concerns. It also said that, despite the insistence of Chinese leaders that Beijing welcomes foreign businesses, many still are hindered from free co

  • Japan may intervene to support yen any time, says senior ruling party official

    Japanese authorities could intervene in the currency market any time as recent yen declines are excessive and out of line with fundamentals, ruling party executive Satsuki Katayama told Reuters. The dollar/yen has risen to near 155 from around 140 at the outset of this year, which can be described as excessive volatility, said Katayama, who is acting chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) policy research council. "I don't think Japan will face any criticism if it were to act now," Katayama said in an interview on Monday, when asked about the timing of a possible currency intervention by Japanese authorities to prop up the yen.

  • Japan's 7-Eleven convenience chain targets aggressive global growth

    Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings said on Tuesday it wanted to see huge growth for its 7-Eleven convenience store chain globally, and would be accelerating its entry into Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. It is aiming to boost the global number of 7-Eleven stores 18% to about 100,000 by 2030 and for the chain to be in 30 countries and regions, up from 20 now. It also agreed to spend more than $2 billion to scoop up convenience stores in Australia and the United States.

  • Arsenal vs Chelsea: Prediction, team news, kick-off time, TV, live stream, h2h results, odds today

    Gunners can extend lead at the top of the Premier League

  • Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill to become law after late-night showdown

    Parliamentary stand-off ends, opening the way for asylum seekers to be sent to the African country.

  • Atlassian Corp President Anutthara Bharadwaj Sells Company Shares

    Atlassian Corp (NASDAQ:TEAM), a leading provider of team collaboration and productivity software, has reported an insider sell according to a recent SEC filing.

  • Dozens of pro-Palestinian protestors arrested at NYU

    STORY: Demonstrators tussled with officers and chanted, "We will not stop, we will not rest. Disclose. Divest."A New York police spokesperson said arrests were made after the university asked police to enforce trespassing violations but the total number of arrests and citations would remain unknown until much later. No immediate injuries were reported.Protests at Yale, Columbia, NYU and other university campuses across the nation began in response to the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, following the deadly cross-border raid by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 and Israel's fierce response in the Gaza enclave controlled by Hamas.

  • Director Clint Hurt Sells 4,568 Shares of PrimeEnergy Resources Corp (PNRG)

    Director Clint Hurt has sold 4,568 shares of PrimeEnergy Resources Corp (NASDAQ:PNRG) on April 19, 2024, according to a recent SEC filing.

  • JGB yields edge to multi-year highs ahead of BOJ meeting

    Japanese government bond yields ticked higher on Tuesday, with the two-, five- and 30-year yields reaching levels not seen in more than a decade, as traders looked ahead to the Bank of Japan's policy-setting meeting at the end of this week. The two-year JGB yield rose 0.5 basis points to 0.285% as of 0515 GMT, the highest since October 2009, despite solid demand at an auction of the securities earlier in the day. The 10-year JGB yield rose 0.5 bps to 0.885%, hovering at a five-month peak.

  • Rwanda Bill: Rishi Sunak says 'nothing will stand in way' of flights after Parliament passes legislation

    Prime Minister hails 'landmark' Rwanda law after Lords finally back down over its efforts to amend the Bill late on Monday night

  • Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder host New Orleans with 1-0 series lead

    New Orleans Pelicans (49-33, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25, first in the Western Conference)Oklahoma City; Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Thunder -7.5; over/under is 211WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Thunder lead series 1-0BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder host the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last meeting 94-92 on April 22 led by 28 points from Shai Gilge

  • Boston takes 1-0 lead into game 2 against Miami

    Miami Heat (46-36, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (64-18, first in the Eastern Conference)Boston; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Celtics -14.5; over/under is 204.5EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Celtics lead series 1-0BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Celtics host the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Celtics defeated the Heat 114-94 in the last meeting. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 23 points, and Bam Adebayo led th

  • Vietnam's FPT to invest $200 million in AI factory using Nvidia chips

    Vietnam's top tech firm FPT plans to build a $200 million artificial intelligence (AI) factory using Nvidia's graphics chips and software, the two firms said on Tuesday. FPT plans to use Nvidia's support to boost AI research in Vietnam with the aim of developing AI applications and solutions at the planned data centre factory, including for generative AI and autonomous driving, the firms said in a joint statement.

  • Iran's Israel strike coincided with crackdown on dissent at home, activists say

    The same day Iran launched its first ever direct attack on Israel it embarked on a less-noticed confrontation at home, ordering police in several cities to take to the streets to arrest women accused of flouting its strict Islamic dress code. Iranian authorities insist that their so-called Nour (Light) campaign targets businesses and individuals who defy the hijab law, aiming to respond to demands from devout citizens who are angry about the growing number of unveiled women in public. Under Iran's sharia, or Islamic law, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes.

  • NHL roundup: Matthews scores winner, Toronto beats Boston 3-2 to tie series 1-1

    BOSTON (AP) — Auston Matthews scored on a breakaway to snap a third-period tie with eight minutes left, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on Monday night to knot their first-round playoff series at one game apiece. Ilya Samsonov stopped 27 shots for Toronto, which snapped an eight-game losing streak against Boston over 534 days dating to November 2022. Max Domi and John Tavares also scored for the Maple Leafs, who haven’t beaten the Bruins in a playoff series since 1959. Mor

  • John Cleese reveals £17,000-a-year battle to stay young: 'I think it’s worth it'

    The TV star says he travels to Switzerland to undergo stem cell therapy treatment

  • Missing 2-year-old found in Stanislaus County canal

    A 2-year-old child was taken to a hospital in critical condition after being found in a canal in Denair on Monday evening, Stanislaus County Sheriffs said.