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Facebook Inc. on Wednesday reversed its decision to not allow the claim that COVID-19 is man-made or manufactured on its platform. The social network’s reversal comes as new and emerging reports suggest the possibility that the virus could have been leaked from a lab in China can’t be ruled out. .
The social network giant said in February it will ban false claims about coronavirus and vaccines, including that COVID-19 is man-made or manufactured, vaccines are not effective in preventing the disease, and that vaccines are toxic and dangerous.
“We’re continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge,” the company said in a statement.
Social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter continue to face pressure to stop the spread of misinformation on their platforms. Facebook has removed more than 18 million pieces of content from Facebook and Instagram globally, from the start of the pandemic to April 2021, for violating policies related to COVID-19 and vaccines, it said in the Community Standards Enforcement Report.
Earlier this week, the California-based company said it will take “stronger action” against users who repeatedly share misinformation on the platform. This includes pop-ups correcting the claim and reduction in distribution of all posts in news feed from an individual’s account.