I was deeply disappointed to read this story. Health misinformation has harmed people’s health and cost lives. In the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Health Misinformation, I stated clearly that tech platforms have a responsibility to improve our health information ecosystem.
https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1453739285123719178
What continues to be lacking from Facebook and other tech companies is transparency and accountability. Only the companies understand the full extent of misinformation’s spread and impact – yet they have not yet shared this data with independent researchers and the public.
Without this critical data, it is much harder to design the right interventions or hold the platforms accountable.
When I talk to doctors and nurses around the country, a common refrain I hear is: “I’m fighting COVID by day in the hospital, and I’m fighting misinformation by night on social media.”
When I talk to people around our country about where they heard common myths about COVID19 and the vaccine, the majority of the time they say social media.
With the possibility of vaccines for 5-11 year olds on the horizon, it is even more urgent that we ensure families are getting accurate, science-based information so they can make the right decision for their children.
We must demand Facebook and the rest of the social media ecosystem take responsibility for stopping health misinformation on their platforms. The time for excuses and half measures is long past. We need transparency and accountability now. The health of our country is at stake.
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