Nearly two months after the release of Covid-19 vaccines, Instagram continued to show anti-vaccination accounts in search, while Facebook groups fighting against vaccination are still available.
Facebook has been grappling with the anti-vaccine movement for years. Late last year, it introduced new rules to address misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine, after pledging two years ago to reduce the spread of such content. However, misinformation continues to exist and spread on the platform.
Four of the top 10 search results for “vaccine” on Instagram were for anti- vaccination.
Despite the efforts made so far, the platforms have not brought the desired results regarding disinformation.
Some of these accounts have garnered quite a few results, raising the question of whether Instagram is suggesting them as a top result for users simply searching for vaccine information. The account “cv19vaccinereactions,” which is dedicated to documenting claims of vaccine side effects, has more than 77,000 followers. The account frequently shares unsubstantiated reports and suggests an unproven link between people receiving the Covid-19 vaccine and serious health problems.
In December, Facebook said it would remove claims about Covid-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health officials, including unfounded conspiracy theories that they contain microchips
Public health experts have said they fear that misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines and anti-vaccination content in general on social media could influence people not to get vaccinated. They fear this would be negative for the course of the pandemic.
The negative impact that misinformation can have on public health is great, and social networking platforms are obliged to better control the content that is uploaded to them, since in our time the internet is the most basic means of information.
