Facebook lifts ban on posts claiming COVID-19 was man-made, amid revitalized origins debate
Facebook will no longer remove posts that claim COVID-19 was man-made in recognition of the reignited debate about the virus's origins, a company spokesperson told ABC News.
"In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of COVID-19 and in consultation with public health experts, we will no longer remove the claim that COVID-19 is man-made from our apps," a Facebook company spokesperson said in a statement. "We're continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge."
Facebook's shift in policy Wednesday marks a notable reversal of what was a recent add to their list of misleading health claims.
In February, Facebook announced that it had expanded the list of "false claims" it would remove from its platforms to include "additional debunked" statements about COVID-19 -- including that COVID is "man-made or manufactured."
Facebook has made changes to its policies around misleading COVID-19 information throughout the course of the pandemic, in consultation with "leading health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO)," the company said.
