Facebook fights those responsible for spreading suspicion of vaccines
The Washington Post reported that Facebook's research into vaccine-hesitant beliefs found that a small group of users lead many discussions that might arouse suspicion or frustration about taking vaccinations.
These beliefs precede the emergence of social media platforms and the Coronavirus, as stated by the World Health Organization, and can impede progress in eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases.
The World Health Organization notes that these beliefs may not be entirely responsible for the 30 percent increase in measles cases around the world over the past several years, but they have played a role in the re-emergence of measles.
Facebook banned false and misleading ads about vaccines in October, weeks before the first coronavirus vaccines became available.
And in December, Facebook announced that it was removing false claims about coronavirus vaccines, and it began notifying users if they interacted with a post containing wrong information.
Steps have also been taken to enhance reliable information about coronavirus vaccines.
And if a Facebook user mentions that their symptoms after receiving the dose are worse than planned, it is possible to use such comments to better understand the effect of the vaccine, but it can also make other users wary, especially if they are concerned about the vaccine.
The study appears to confirm what many critics have known for a long time, as there is an effect that helps spread disinformation on the Facebook platform.
The content that helps create this impact may not conflict with any of Facebook's rules, but it can spread quickly among groups of vulnerable users.
Facebook researchers concluded that there was significant overlap between users associated with QAnon conspiracy theories and communities of users who expressed doubts about vaccines.
A Facebook spokesman said: The company entered into a partnership with more than 60 global health experts, and studied content related to Coronavirus vaccinations and other information to inform its policies.
He added: Facebook is routinely studying trends that may be part of conversations on its platform, such as: voting, prejudice, hate speech and nudity, so that it can continue to improve its products.
And public health experts explained that addressing the frequency in vaccines is a top priority in the response to the Corona virus, and for this reason Facebook launched a global campaign that linked two billion people with reliable information from health experts and removed false claims about the Corona virus, and new research helps enrich its efforts.