Facebook will remove COVID-19 vaccine misinformation

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

In an update to their COVID-19 misinformation policy, Facebook will begin removing false claims about COVID-19 vaccines. The update comes as one COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized in the UK and other authorizations are expected to happen soon in the US and around the world. But some experts say these kinds of policies are coming too late to stop the flow of vaccine misinformation.

The policy previously involved removing posts with false information about the virus that could lead to “imminent physical harm.” Facebook is now expanding the policy to include any posts about vaccines that feature claims which have been “debunked by public health experts.” This includes conspiracy theories — like vaccines containing microchips — and false...