Facebook under pressure to halt rise of anti-vaccination groups

[G_j]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/12/facebook-anti-vaxxer-vaccination-groups-pressure-misinformation

Experts are calling on company to counter closed groups where members can post misinformation without challenge

Ed Pilkington and Jessica Glenza in New York

Facebook is under pressure to stem the rise of anti-vaccination groups spreading false information about the dangers of life-saving vaccines while peddling unfounded alternative treatments such as high doses of vitamin

So-called “anti-vaxxers” are operating on Facebook in closed groups, where members have to be approved in advance. By barring access to others, they are able to serve undiluted misinformation without challenge.

The groups are large and sophisticated. Stop Mandatory Vaccination has more than 150,000 approved members. Vitamin C Against Vaccine Damage claims that large doses of the vitamin can “heal” people from vaccine damage, even though vaccines are safe.

Health experts are calling on Facebook to do more to counter these echo chambers. Dr Wendy Sue Swanson, spokeswoman of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said: “Facebook should prioritise dealing with the threat to human health when falsehoods and misinformation are shared. This isn’t just self-harm, it’s community harm.”

..more..

[Johnny2X2X]

1. People are dying because of these groups

They must be halted now.

[EllieBC]

2. You should see some of the dangerous claptrap

in the unassisted homebirth groups. They tend to share membership with the anti-vax groups.

[Johnny2X2X]

4. Tragic

I had a teacher in middle school who decided with his wife to birth their child at home without even a midwife. The results were tragic and preventable as they didn’t have the ability to know when something was going wrong and their child was born with the cord wrapped around its neck. It was severely damaged and lived 6 months in a vegetative state before dying.

Modern medicine is a gift that prevents an unfathemablr amount of suffering and death. Too many still reject it for no real reason.

[EllieBC]

9. They often say

“Babies were always born at home this way” to which I reply, “yes and countless mothers and infants died during childbirth which we can now prevent!”.

Many of these people wouldn’t think twice about running to the doctor for themselves though. It’s only when it comes to their kids that they want to play Russian roulette.

[mr_lebowski]

3. Seriously wondering what kind of shadowy forces might be behind this BULLSHIT ...

Russia maybe?

Or worse ... a cabal who realizes the world is way overpopulated, and is trying to fix that ... in quite a nasty way.

[tymorial]

6. While I love blaming Russia for anything, including stubbing my toe this morning

This anti-immunization nonsense has been going on for a very long time. I've read anti-vax garbage here on DU. Thankfully it is in the huge minority.

[mr_lebowski]

7. Just because it's been 'going on' doesn't mean an actor like Russia might not jump on/catapult it

after the fact, to our collective detriment

[ck4829]

5. K&R

[c-rational]

8. False news, both siderism and corporate control will be the death of us. A hugh problem coming

are antibiotic resistant bacteria. A big problem is the antibiotic diet we feed cows and chickens. This is not allowed in Europe. By 2050 there may be no more surgery. Why is this practice allowed- to protect industry, the farming of animals. Personally I generally choose not to eat anything with a face, not to mention the greenhouse gas production associated with this behavior. We may not wake up in time.