Google, Facebook and Twitter commit not to profit from Covid-19 anti-vaxxer conspiracies in the UK

Google, Facebook, and Twitter have agreed not to profit from social media content designed to spread coronavirus vaccine misinformation, including misuse of scientific findings and baseless claims questioning vaccines’ safety.

The tech giants have agreed to work with UK authorities to promote information that was scientifically accurate and that no company should either profit from or promote disinformation linked to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Ministers voiced concerns surrounding the length of time false claims and conspiracy theories questioning the safety or efficacy of a vaccine were allowed to remain visible on platforms during a virtual roundtable with representatives from the companies.

Removing the financial incentive of creating, promoting and circulating false vaccine claims will help to lessen the spread of the misinformation.

The three companies agreed to deliver a “timely response” to misleading vaccine content brought to their attention by the government and to continue working with public health bodies to promote scientifically-backed messages about the vaccine’s safety to their users.

Rebecca Stimson, Facebook’s head of UK public policy, said the company had banned adverts that included vaccine hoaxes or that discouraged people from getting a vaccine, removing “harmful misinformation” about Covid-19 and had deployed warning labels for posts marked as false by third-party fact checkers.

Ronan Harris, Google UK managing director, said the company had been working to remove and demonetise content contradicting scientific consensus about the virus, preventing adverts from appearing next to content that promotes conspiracy theories or contradicts scientific consensus.

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YouTube, which is owned by Google, previously banned adverts from appearing against any videos that discussed the coronavirus outbreak but reversed the decision following outcry from video creators who claimed the policy unfairly penalised those making informative and legitimate videos about the pandemic.

“Covid disinformation is dangerous and could cost lives. While social media companies are taking steps to stop it spreading on their platforms there is much more that can be done,” said Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden.

He said he welcomed the social media giants’ commitment not to profit from anti-vaxx content, “given that making money from this dangerous content would be wrong”.

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