Elon Musk makes another change: Twitter stops removing incorrect info about COVID

1 min read . Updated: 30 Nov 2022, 06:05 AM IST Sounak Mukhopadhyay

Musk earlier expressed interest in reversing several of the earlier guidelines for the platform's misinformation policy. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach/File Photo/File Photo (REUTERS) — Musk earlier expressed interest in reversing several of the earlier guidelines for the platform's misinformation policy. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach/File Photo/File Photo **(REUTERS)**

Twitter, under Elon Musk, has quietly ended the enforcement of its COVID misinformation policy.

Twitter has decided to stop enforcing its COVID-19 misinformation policy, which has public health professionals worried that this decision may have major repercussions if it deters people from being vaccinated and from making other anti-virus measures.

"Effective November 23, 2022, Twitter is no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy," the micro-blogging platform updated its policy.

Many public health professionals are dismayed by Twitter's decision to stop removing incorrect statements regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccinations. They are also concerned that it would encourage further false claims about the virus or the security and efficacy of vaccines.

As per epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding, it is “Bad news". He has asked people to stay on Twitter and fight for truthful information about the virus rather than leaving.

Physician Dr. Simone Gold thinks it’s a “win for free speech and medical freedom". The leading purveyor of COVID-19 misinformation said Twitter had used its policy to “silence people across the world who questioned the media narrative surrounding the virus and treatment options".

After Elon Musk bought Twitter, some Twitter accounts began exploring the new limits and applauding the platform's no-interference attitude.

Musk earlier expressed interest in reversing several of the earlier guidelines for the platform's misinformation defence system. Previously, Musk has openly promoted false information about COVID on Twitter. Musk has also reinstated the accounts of numerous other individuals who circulated false information about COVID. Such accounts include that of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's, whose personal account was suspended earlier in 2022 for persistently breaking Twitter's COVID guidelines.

India logged 291 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,46,71,853, while the active cases declined to 5,123, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on November 28. The death toll has climbed to 5,30,614 with two fatalities reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 coordinator, said Tuesday that the problem of COVID-19 misinformation is far larger than one platform, and that policies prohibiting COVID misinformation weren't the best solution anyway.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sounak Mukhopadhyay

Sounak Mukhopadhyay, who also goes by the name Sounak Mukherjee, has been producing digital news since 2012. He's worked for the International Business Times, The Inquisitr, and Moneycontrol in the past. He's also contributed to Free Press Journal and TheRichest with feature articles. He covers news for a wide range of subjects including business, finance, economy, politics and social media. Before working with digital news publications, he worked as a freelance content writer.