Facebook spokesperson says the company was proactively removing 65% of hate speech before it was reported globally. PHOTO: REUTERS
Facebook to ban misleading ads about coronavirus
Increasing regulatory scrutiny over the type of content posted
Facebook said on Wednesday it would ban advertisements for products offering any cures or prevention around the coronavirus outbreak and those that create a sense of urgency around the situation.
The disease, believed to have originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, has killed more than 2,700 people.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg says company considered banning political ads
The announcement by the social-media giant comes as it faces increasing regulatory scrutiny over the type of content posted on its platform, specifically items reflecting extreme ideologies and fake news.
Ads with claims like ‘face masks are 100% guaranteed to prevent the spread of the virus’ will not be allowed, a company spokesperson said.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday alerted Americans to begin preparing for the spread of coronavirus in the United States after infections surfaced in several more countries.
As coronavirus misinformation spreads on social media, Facebook removes posts
Last month, Facebook said that it would remove content about the virus “with false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organisations and local health authorities”, joining companies like TikTok and Pinterest.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ