YouTube, Twitter, Facebook Team To Deal With Anti-Vax COVID Content

Three of the biggest social media platforms — Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube — have teamed up in anticipation of increased COVID-19 vaccine misinformation, according to a new report. All three platforms have been used to spread fake news and disinformation related to the virus and the vaccine rapidly developed to treat it.

Public health officials have reported concerns about the growing number of Americans who state they are skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccine's safety and that they possibly or definitely will not receive it as a result. Social media has played a big role in the spread of anti-vax conspiracies behind this skepticism.

According to a new report from BBC, the three big social network companies will team up to work with a variety of sources to deal with misinformation and conspiracies related to the coronavirus vaccine, which is expected to start rolling out in the next few months.

Facebook will fund the 'initial framework' of this effort in January, according to the report, which will usher in new standards for dealing with this kind of content. A common method utilized by social media platforms may help reduce the spread of this disinformation to the public.

A number of organizations will work alongside the companies' effort, including the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Africa Check, UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, Canada's Privacy Council Office, and more. FunFact, a fact-checking charity, will be coordinating the work between these companies and organizations.