Facebook announces plans to block anti-vaccination content

Facebook is cracking down on the spread of vaccine misinformation, the company announced Thursday. The changes come as tech giants are facing criticism for their role in disseminating false medical information in the wake of a massive measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest in January.

Facebook will now de-prioritize medical myths across the platform, taking action against verifiable vaccine hoaxes, the company said. “We also believe in providing people with additional context so they can decide whether to read, share, or engage in conversations about information they see on Facebook,” Bickert said. “We are exploring ways to give people more accurate information from expert organizations about vaccines at the top of results for related searches, on Pages discussing the topic, and on invitations to join groups about the topic”.

Pinterest has blocked anti-vaccination searches and has tried to pull down anti-vax content. In February, YouTube said it would remove ads from videos that feature anti-vaccination content.

Approximately 100,000 children in the U.S. have not been vaccinated against any of the 14 diseases for which shots are recommended.

Full Story @ CBS News

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