General surgeon slams Big Tech’s COVID misinformation battle معركة

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Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy acknowledged that Big Tech has taken some “positive steps” to combat misinformation about coronavirus vaccines but they are “not enough” — amid President Biden’s accusation that Facebook is “killing people” by failing to rid its platform of inaccurate information.

Murthy was asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” about Facebook’s statement in response, saying the White House is looking for a scapegoat to blame for the delay in vaccinations and claiming that administration officials praised the social media giant’s work.

“I’ve been very consistent in what I’ve said to tech companies, and I’ve spoken to a number of them over the past several months, and I’ve also talked to my team. And what we’ve effectively said is that when we see good steps being taken, we have to acknowledge them,” he told host Dana Bash, There are some positive steps that these tech companies have taken,” he said, noting that some of them have promoted materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But what I’ve also told them, publicly and privately, is that it’s not enough. That we continue to see the spread of misinformation online, and we know that false health information is harmful to people’s health. “It’s costing them their lives,” Murthy said.

“What worries me is that all this misinformation going around has a real, measurable cost in terms of lives lost and this is tragic,” US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says of the spread of misinformation about vaccines on social and conservative media. # Al-Riyadh newspaper pic.twitter.com/hBTk3NDs9s

– State of the Union (CNNSotu) July 18, 2021

He said the misinformation being spread online confuses people trying to find accurate medical and health information – which can have deadly consequences.

“I’ve seen it as a physician over the years where patients have experienced misinformation. Here’s the key thing to remember: False health information robs us of our freedom and ability to make decisions for ourselves and our families,” he said.

“This is a problem, and these platforms should realize that they have played a major role in increasing the speed and volume with which misinformation is spread,” Murthy said.

Biden was asked last Friday about Facebook and other media allowing misinformation to spread amid a drop in vaccination rates and a spike in coronavirus cases.

They are killing people. The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. “They are killing people,” the president told reporters.

His comments came shortly after White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was working “regularly” with social media platforms to prevent the flow of bad information.

“We regularly make sure that social media platforms are aware of the latest public health narratives that we and many other Americans see across all social and traditional media,” Psaki said at a White House briefing.

“There are about 12 people generating 65 percent of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms,” ​​she said.

All of us – technology companies, individuals, healthcare professionals and government – can all help tackle the spread of misinformation, said Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy.

Facebook issued a statement criticizing the president’s comments and praising itself for informing its users about the pandemic.

“We will not be distracted by accusations that are not supported by facts,” a Facebook spokesperson said.

“The truth is that more than two billion people have seen reliable information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than anywhere else on the Internet.”

In an interview with “Fox News Sunday”, Murthy was asked if the White House’s coordination with the Silicon Valley giants was like Big Brother.

Murthy said many Americans have been left baffled by the competing information out there — whether accurate or inaccurate.

“They’re not sure what they should do to protect their children, protect their elderly parents, and protect themselves. What we all have a right to have is accurate information so we can make the right decisions for us and our families. … That’s not a reality for a lot of people,” he told Fox News, but they are. They are mired in misinformation.

“All of us – technology companies, individuals, healthcare professionals and government – have roles to play in tackling and slowing the spread of misinformation,” he said.

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