President Joe Biden said on Friday that platforms like Facebook were

President Biden's message to Facebook: You're 'killing people'

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2021-07-16 21:00:12

President Joe Biden said on Friday that platforms like Facebook were "killing people" as COVID-19 vaccine misinformation spreads on the platform and infections rise in several parts of the US.

"What is your message to platforms like Facebook?" NBC's Peter Alexander asked as the President departed the White House for Camp David.

Biden's words echoed a phrase used earlier on Friday when Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said COVID-19 is becoming a "pandemic of the unvaccinated."

"We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk," Dr. Walensky said.

The message to Facebook comes a day after US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a statement saying that "American lives are at risk" due to anti-vaccine misinformation on social media.

"Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health," Murthy said. "It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people's health, and undermine public health efforts. Limiting the spread of health misinformation is a moral and civic imperative."