Facebook takes aim at anti-vaccine misinformation

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Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Facebook takes aim at anti-vaccine misinformation
Facebook takes aim at anti-vaccine misinformation - Sharrie Williams reports during Action News at 4pm on September 4, 2019.

Facebook is taking new steps to help stop the spread of misinformation about vaccinations.

The social media platform is launching educational windows that will appear when users search for vaccine-related content.

They will contain links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for users un the United States and to the World Health Organization for other parts of the world.

Pinterest taking action against vaccine misinformation: Rick Williams reports during Action News at 5pm on August 28, 2019.

Similar windows are also coming to Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook.

The move comes as the number of people sickened by measles in the US this year eclipses 1,200.

Earlier this year, Amazon and YouTube removed anti-vax documentaries and Pinterest limited related search results to information from public health organizations.

However, Facebook isn't completely removing all anti-vax information because it says users should be able to see both sides of the debate.

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