London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Zuckerberg deflects questions about vaccine disinformation on Facebook

Zuckerberg deflects questions about vaccine disinformation on Facebook

CEO says problem is primarily one of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ among the US public, touting platform’s vaccine literacy tool
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg skirted a question on Thursday about coronavirus vaccine disinformation on the social network, choosing to phrase the problem instead as primarily one of “vaccine hesitancy” among the US public.

In an interview with CBS, which was released on Thursday morning, TV anchor Gayle King pressed Zuckerberg to release information on how many people have viewed and shared Facebook posts containing misinformation about the Covid vaccine.

Zuckerberg said that Facebook has removed more than 18m posts containing misinformation from their website, but failed to answer when pressed by King on how many people viewed or shared these posts.

He deflected the question to focus on so-called vaccine literacy, touting the platform’s vaccine finder tool that he said has prompted millions to take their first steps towards getting vaccinated.

He said a lot of the misinformation conversation is really about “vaccine hesitancy” and that content should not be banned.

“I think, to some degree, there are also different definitions that people have over what misinformation is,” he said. “A lot of the stuff that’s actually the hardest for us to really address is not what I would call ‘misinformation’ but instead another category that I would call ‘hesitancy.’”

He attributed questions about which vaccine is safe, or which vaccine is effective to the “vaccine hesitancy” category, which he said is “a big part” of the whole conversation.

“That’s not misinformation, but it’s certainly contributing to an environment where people are asking questions about the safety of vaccines,” he added. “I don’t think we should ban it.”

Facebook has been accused of perpetuating and allowing misinformation about the pandemic and the vaccine to proliferate on its platform.

In July, Joe Biden said social media platforms like Facebook are “killing people” because of it.

The White House has also zeroed in on a clutch of accounts dubbed the “disinformation dozen” – Facebook accounts that have been shown to be responsible for the bulk of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms.

Thursday’s developments came as the Federal Trade Commission filed an amended complaint in federal court to continue pursuing its claims against Facebook, saying the online platform maintains monopoly power.

The complaint filed is a partially redacted version, which the FTC has requested must be under seal for 10 days.

The FTC said that Facebook since 2011 “has had monopoly power in the US with respect to personal social networking”.

While Facebook continues to defend itself and cites numbers of accounts and posts it has removed, misinformation experts have pointed out that people such as Robert F Kennedy Jr, a staunch anti-vaccine campaigner, are allowed to remain on the platform.

A Northwestern University study released in July stated that the vaccination rate among those who used only Facebook as a source for information is 40% lower than for those who use multiple sources for information on Covid-19.

Facebook told Guardian US on Thursday that it has removed 20m posts containing misinformation about the pandemic and closed 3,000 accounts, pages and groups for their content between the beginning of the pandemic and June.

Zuckerberg and King also discussed Facebook’s launch of a virtual workspace that gives its users numerous options, from switching conference rooms to presentation settings, as well as creating their own avatars.

The “horizon workrooms” is an app built off his idea for a “metaverse” which he said is a version of the internet “we can be inside of”.

Users can use hand gestures to interact with their colleagues, move about their virtual space as though in an office, and sit around the table as though in an in-person 3-D meeting room.

Users need to buy a special virtual reality headset to pair with the app.
Comments

mike 4 year ago
Is this Zuckerberg a doctor? No!!! He is an ideot!

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×