Home Technology Facebook removes Trump post for violating coronavirus misinformation rules

Facebook removes Trump post for violating coronavirus misinformation rules

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Facebook removes Trump post for violating coronavirus misinformation rules

(Reuters) — Facebook on Wednesday took down a post by U.S. President Donald Trump, which the corporate mentioned violated its rules in opposition to sharing misinformation concerning the coronavirus.

The post contained a video clip, from an interview with Fox & Mates earlier within the day, by which Trump claimed that youngsters are “nearly immune” to COVID-19.

“This video consists of false claims {that a} group of individuals is immune from COVID-19, which is a violation of our insurance policies round dangerous COVID misinformation,” a Facebook spokesman mentioned.

A tweet containing the video that was posted by the Trump marketing campaign’s @TeamTrump account and shared by the president was additionally later hidden by Twitter for breaking its COVID-19 misinformation rules.

A Twitter spokesman mentioned the @TeamTrump account proprietor can be required to take away the tweet earlier than they may tweet once more.

YouTube, by a spokesman, mentioned it had additionally pulled down the video for violating its COVID-19 misinformation insurance policies. Nevertheless, the unique interview stays out there on the Fox Information web page on the platform. YouTube didn’t instantly reply to requests to make clear which movies have been taken down.

The Trump marketing campaign accused the businesses of bias in opposition to the president, saying Trump had acknowledged a reality. “Social media corporations should not the arbiters of fact,” mentioned Courtney Parella, a spokeswoman with the marketing campaign.

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) has mentioned that whereas adults make up a lot of the recognized COVID-19 circumstances to this point, some youngsters and infants have been sick with the illness they usually can even transmit it to others.

An evaluation by the World Well being Group of 6 million infections between Feb. 24 and July 12 discovered that the share of kids aged 5-14 years was about 4.6%.

The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Throughout a briefing on the White Home, Trump repeated his declare that the virus had little influence on youngsters.

“Kids deal with it very properly,” he instructed reporters. “If you happen to take a look at the numbers, when it comes to mortality, fatalities … for youngsters beneath a sure age … their immune techniques are very very robust and really highly effective. They appear to have the ability to deal with it very properly and that’s in response to each statistical declare.”

It was the primary time Facebook had eliminated a Trump post for coronavirus misinformation, the corporate’s spokesman mentioned.

It additionally seemed to be the primary reported occasion of the social media firm taking down a post from the president for breaching its misinformation rules.

Twitter has taken down a post retweeted by Trump pointing to a deceptive viral video concerning the coronavirus, however left up clips of the president suggesting scientists ought to examine utilizing gentle or disinfectant on sufferers.

Twitter mentioned these remarks expressed a want for remedy, moderately than a literal name for motion.

It additionally left up a March post from Tesla’s outspoken CEO Elon Musk stating that “youngsters are basically immune” from the virus.

Facebook has taken warmth from lawmakers and its personal workers in latest months for not taking motion on inflammatory posts by Trump.

The corporate has beforehand eliminated adverts from Trump’s election marketing campaign for breaking misinformation rules, in that case round a nationwide census.

It additionally took down each Trump posts and marketing campaign adverts that confirmed a purple inverted triangle, an emblem the Nazis used to establish political prisoners, for violating its coverage in opposition to organized hate.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Culliford in Birmingham, England; Extra reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru, Alexandra Alper in Washington, D.C. and Katie Paul in San Francisco; Modifying by Richard Pullin, Christopher Cushing, and Fanny Potkin)

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