Facebook bans phony coronavirus cure ads
Feb 27, 2020, 8:33 AM | Updated: Mar 12, 2020, 9:11 am
FILE A fan wearing a protective mask takes a picture with her cell phone prior the Champions League, round of 16, in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
MENLO PARK, California — Facebook is joining other social media giants in banning fake ads claiming to cure or prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Last month the platform said it would remove conspiracy theories which global health organizations say could cause harm to people. Now it’s going a step further.
The ban is aimed at ads saying face masks are 100-percent guaranteed to prevent COVID-19 coronavirus or that drinking bleach will cure you if you already have the virus.
Facebook also says products that create a false sense of urgency, like “while supplies last” or “limited supply available” will also be off limits on its site.
How effective this ban will be, remains to be seen. Critics say anti-vaccination ads still appear on Facebook even though the social media giant previously promised not to allow them.
And some say political mis-information ads are still rampant on Facebook, even though those are supposed be banned as well.
Amazon and Google also made commitments to keep fake coronavirus cures off their websites.
