Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Instagram Announces Plans To Crack Down Hard On Anti-Vaxx Content Aimed At Spreading Misinformation

Instagram Announces Plans To Crack Down Hard On Anti-Vaxx Content Aimed At Spreading Misinformation
@becauseshepersisted/Instagram

Instagram is joining the online crusade to prevent anti-vaxxers from spreading misinformation.

Earlier this year, its parent company, Facebook, pledged to fight against circulating conspiracy theories online, but search results concerning anti-vaccination remained accessible.

On Thursday, the popular app announced they would effectively block hashtags associated with false information that could deter people from getting vaccinated.


Karina Newton, Instagram's global head of public policy explained how they would enforce the new policy.

"If the hashtag was #vaccines1234, if it contained a high proportion of known vaccine misinformation, we would block that hashtag entirely."


Instagram clarified that "known vaccine misinformation" refers to information that the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control have verified as false.

The latest announcement is in response to journalists putting on the pressure as New York declared a "public health emergency" in April due to another measles outbreak affecting 300 people.



New York Mayor Bill de Blasio indicated that anti-vaxxers are responsible for the outbreaks and castigated them for being a "part of an insidious, well-funded campaign to take advantage of parents who just want to take care of their kids. "

Instagram already blocks hashtags linking to false information, but now the company will delve deeper through the use of machine learning to study which hashtags are associated with posts removed under the misinformation policy.





All hashtags with a "high proportion" of misinformation will be blocked. The Verge added that Instagram did not disclose the percentage so as to avoid users from challenging the system.



In an effort to educate users looking up vaccination information in their searches, Instagram confirmed they will employ pop-ups with high-quality information, though its wording is still being finalized.


The policing of ant-vax content just started, so users should not expect to notice significant changes yet.

But some hashtags have already seen the ax.


Newton said, "It's going to take some time to continue the work on it," as users may still come across anti-vaxx propaganda while Instagram begins the process of removing such information.

Better late than never.

More from Trending

X screenshot of guy smashing guitar; Taylor Swift
@TONYxTWO/X; Doug Peters/PA Images via Getty Images

Turns Out The Guitar A Texas Man Bid $4k On And Smashed Wasn't Even Signed By Taylor Swift

A couple of days ago, a man in Waxahachie, Texas, went viral on social media for bidding $4000 on a guitar signed by Taylor Swift at an event called Ellis County Wild Game Dinner—and immediately beating it with a hammer.

And though the guy definitely did not prove whatever kind of point he was trying to make in the first place, it just got better.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rudy Giuliani; Caroline Rose Giuliani and Kamala Harris
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; @carolinerosegiu/Instagram

Rudy Giuliani's Daughter Implores People To Vote For Harris In Emotional Essay Slamming Trump

Caroline Rose Giuliani, the daughter of former New York City Mayor Giuliani, penned a heartbreaking essay for Vanity Fair about "watching my dad’s life crumble" since he joined forces with former President Donald Trump.

In it, she implored Americans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris on Election Day, saying "it would be naive for us to ignore the fact that many of those closest to Trump have descended into catastrophic downward spirals" and that "If we let Trump back into the driver's seat this fall, our country will be no exception."

Keep ReadingShow less
Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Biden Pays Poignant Tribute To 'Beloved Friend' Jimmy Carter As He Celebrates His 100th Birthday

President Joe Biden praised former President Jimmy Carter for his 100th birthday on Tuesday in a video released by CBS, calling Carter "one of the most influential statesmen in our history."

When Carter entered hospice care at his home last year, his family and friends feared he had only days left. Yet, more than 19 months later, he marks a historic milestone, becoming the first U.S. president to reach 100 years of age.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman looking out window
xandtor/Unsplash

People Describe The Strangest Things Their Neighbors Have Ever Done

How well do you know your neighbors?

Depending on your view, whether it's through an apartment window or over the backyard fence, you might have the best seat at witnessing the crazy things your neighbors do.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kaitlan Collins and Donald Trump Jr.
CNN

Kaitlan Collins Hits Don Jr. With Mic Drop Reminder After He Blames Media For Calling Trump 'Hitler'

After Donald Trump Jr. tried to blame the media for exacerbating threats against his father, former President Donald Trump, by calling him "literally Hitler," CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins gave him a brutal reminder about something Trump's own running mate J.D. Vance himself had said.

Speaking to Collins in the spin room after Vance's debate with Vice President Kamala Harris's running mate Tim Walz, Trump Jr. said that the media is responsible for the heightened political tensions nationwide, implying that news reporters have stoked an environment that resulted in two failed attempts on his father's life.

Keep ReadingShow less