Facebook and Twitter Take Action Against Trump for Spreading Coronavirus Misinformation

Strategic Insights -

Facebook and Twitter took unprecedented action against President Donald Trump for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus, removing a post from his official account and blocking his campaign account's tweet, respectively. The actions came as the two social media companies signaled a shift in their approach to moderation, prioritizing the removal of harmful and misleading content, particularly from politicians. This move marks a significant departure from their previous stance on free speech, reflecting increasing pressure from lawmakers, advertisers, and users to address concerns about misinformation and hate speech on their platforms.

Key Takeaways:

  • Facebook removed a post from President Trump's official account that claimed children are "almost immune" from COVID-19, citing false claims about immunity to COVID-19.
  • Twitter required Team Trump's campaign account to delete a tweet with the same video, blocking it from tweeting until it's deleted, and later restored the account after it was deleted.
  • The Trump campaign account was active again late Wednesday night after initially being blocked.
  • Facebook spokesman Andy Stone stated that the video included false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19, violating Facebook's policies around harmful COVID misinformation.
  • Twitter Spokeswoman Liz Kelley said the tweet "is in violation of the Twitter Rules on COVID-19 misinformation" and required the account owner to remove the tweet before tweeting again.
  • Dr. Theodore Ruel, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health at UCSF, stated that children can still catch and spread COVID-19, although they may get it less and transmit it less than adults.
  • Research suggests that over 240,000 children in the U.S. have been documented to have COVID-19, and around 300 children have contracted a rare inflammatory disease due to COVID-19 called multi-system inflammatory syndrome.
  • Facebook previously deactivated dozens of ads placed by President Trump's reelection campaign that included a Holocaust denial symbol, and over 1,000 advertisers have joined a boycott regarding its civil rights record.

Statistics:

  • Over 240,000 children in the U.S. have been documented to have COVID-19.
  • Around 300 children have contracted a rare inflammatory disease due to COVID-19 called multi-system inflammatory syndrome.
  • Six children have died from this rare disease.
  • Gwinnett County Public Schools, the state's largest school district in Georgia, reported 260 district employees had tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to someone who had.
  • Facebook has faced increasing pressure to better moderate its site, including criticism from lawmakers and a boycott from over 1,000 advertisers.
  • Twitter has labeled several tweets from President Trump for being misleading, including on fraudulent mail-in ballots.

Sources:

  • The Washington Post
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • UCSF (University of California, San Francisco)
  • CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Gwinnett County Public Schools
  • Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)
  • The Washington Post's Faiz Siddiqui