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The study has found Facebook is not only recommending health misinformation sites to users, it’s also recommending new types of conspiracy groups to them, such as anti-mask sites and conspiracy theories about 5G to those seeking health information.
The scathing report, by online misinformation monitoring site NewsGuard, follows hot on the heels of US president Joe Biden’s condemnation of the platform.
He said social media sites like Facebook are “killing people” by allowing Covid-19 vaccine site misinformation.
In its study, NewsGuard found plenty of examples where Facebook is actively recommending dozens of dangerous health sites to its users.
NewsGuard, which monitors and rates all kinds of news sites for its members, last year announced a partnership with the World Health Organisation to combat online misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.
NewsGuard says it has sent the WHO a variety of reports and data highlighting trending health hoaxes and conspiracies across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
“The WHO has shared the reports with digital platforms to alert them to misinformation and hoaxes on their platforms, “it says.
“These reports identify large social media pages, accounts, and public and private groups that encourage the spread of false and often dangerous narratives about the...