By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The attorneys normal of 14 U.S. states despatched a letter to Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:) Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg asking if the highest disseminators of vaccine disinformation on the platform acquired particular therapy from the corporate.
The line of inquiry was generated after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen used inner paperwork to reveal that the social media platform has constructed a system that exempts high-profile customers from some or all of its guidelines.
In the letter, which was despatched on Wednesday, the 14 Democratic attorneys normal mentioned they're "extremely concerned" with latest reviews that Facebook maintained lists of members who've acquired particular therapy, and need to know if the "Disinformation Dozen" have been a part of these lists.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate describes the "Disinformation Dozen" as 12 anti-vaxxers who're chargeable for nearly two-thirds of anti-vaccine content material circulating on social media platforms.
Facebook spokesman Alex Burgos pointed to earlier feedback by the corporate that it had eliminated over three dozen pages, teams and Facebook or Instagram accounts linked to these 12 individuals, together with at the very least one linked to every of the 12, for violating its insurance policies. It has additionally utilized penalties to a few of their web site domains.
COVID-19 disinformation has proliferated throughout the pandemic on social media websites together with Facebook, Twitter Inc (NYSE:) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:) Inc's YouTube. Researchers and lawmakers have lengthy accused Facebook of failing to police dangerous content material on its platforms.
In July, President Joe Biden mentioned social media platforms like Facebook "are killing people" for permitting misinformation about coronavirus vaccines to be posted on its platform. https://reut.rs/3iZ9ZVC
Haugen, a former product supervisor on Facebook's civic misinformation workforce, left the practically $1 trillion firm with tens of 1000's of confidential paperwork and has referred to as for transparency about how Facebook entices customers to maintain scrolling, creating ample alternative for advertisers to succeed in them.
The letter was despatched by the attorneys normal of Connecticut, California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
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