Facebook is found to be enabling ads promoting anti-vaccine posts and even comparing vaccine mandates to the Holocaust, report shows.
Facebook Promoting Ads
Facebook appeared to be caught in a web of political posts with its ads promoting doubts and hate.
In a report from CNN, Facebook allegedly sold advertisements that promoted anti-vaccine messages. Some of the ads even compared the U.S government's vaccine mandates regarding the Covid-19 to Nazi Germany's Holocaust.
However, way before the pandemic happened, Facebook was already at fault for promoting fake news.
Last year, during the election, the tech giant was involved in pushing political violence, with messages that have been available to many implying that the election was rigged.
Also Read: Meta Facebook App Down But Says Service is Back Now-What Happened?
Facebook Promoting Anti-Vaccine Ads
On Monday, Fox News reporter Lara Logan compared Dr. Anthony Fauci to Nazi's 'Angel of Death' doctor, causing outrage among American citizens.
At the same time, advertisements promoting a sweater with a printed text of "I'm originally from America but I currently reside in 1941 Germany" have been circulating on Facebook.
Another ad also appeared, comparing the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines to the Holocaust.
A lot of American Facebook users, especially those who strongly stand against vaccine mandates, shared the message falsely implying that the rollout is an attempt to murder citizens on a mass scale.
Later on, it was found that the ad was organized by a Facebook page named "Ride the Red Wave."
Interestingly, the same Facebook page advertised a shirt with the words "Make hanging traitors great again" printed on it.
Just from those ads promoted by "Ride the Red Wave" alone, Facebook has already earned $280,000 since May of 2021, CNN reviewed.
Although the page only has 10,000 followers, with Facebook promoting its posts, the page and the message delivered will reach millions of Americans.
Just this August, another ad promoting a shirt emblazoned with "Proudly Unpoisoned" next to a photo of a syringe has circulated in the social media app.
The company that made the shirt allegedly paid Facebook $2,500, which will reach up to 450,000 Facebook users. Facebook data shows that those who viewed the ads came from Texas, Florida, and California.
What Facebook Has To Say
However, Meta's spokesperson said ads comparing the vaccine to the Holocaust and suggesting vaccines were poison is against Facebook's vaccine misinformation policies.
Considering the ads violated their policy, many suggest that Facebook has weak detection systems.
Facebook expressed its positive role in encouraging Americans to get vaccinated in a public statement.
In an open letter to President Joe Biden in July, Facebook's vice president of integrity Guy Rosen rebuked Biden's claim saying platforms like Facebook can kill people.
NYU Researcher Laura Edelson told CNN that Facebook does not engage manually in reviewing the ads it sells, which explains why ads that allegedly violated their rules can pass through.
Facebook has yet to comment on Edelson's findings.
Related Article: Facebook Tagging Issue is Phishing Scam, Clicking Malicious Video Could Trigger Malware: How to Solve This?
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Thea Felicity
