US President calls out social media platforms 'killing people' over COVID misinformation

US President Joe Biden recently opened up about the US citizens who are avoiding taking the COVID-19 vaccination. Biden said that it is the social media companies that are responsible for spreading misinformation among the people. Following the Tweet of the US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy regarding misinformation about vaccines, Biden responded to a question on people avoiding taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

Joe Biden slams misinformation being spread on social media platforms regarding vaccines

The US president was asked if he had any messages about the social media platforms, where the misleading information regarding the COVID-19 vaccination is being spread. Biden replied to the question and said, "They're killing people." He further explained himself and commented on the people who are avoiding taking the COVID-19 vaccine. He said, "Look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they're killing people."

Earlier on Friday, the White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, also criticised Facebook for the misinformation being shared on it. During a White House briefing, she said, "Obviously, there are steps they (Facebook) have taken. They're a private-sector company.". "There are additional steps they can take. It's clear that there are more that can be taken", she added. Psaki further supported her statement and said, "There's about 12 people who are producing 65 per cent of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms. All of them remain active on Facebook, despite some even being banned on other platforms, including Facebook - ones that Facebook owns.".

US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy slams COVID misinformation on social media platforms

On Thursday, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy highlighted that misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines can be dangerous to public health claiming that this had led people to decline the vaccines. Murthy suggested that the US must confront the misinformation together as it is a threat to the nation's health. On July 15, Murthy tweeted regarding the misinformation surfacing on the internet and wrote, "We all have the power and responsibility to confront health misinformation. That’s why we included recommendations for individuals, educators, researchers, health professionals, tech companies, and more.".He also shared a poster that read, "Addressing health misinformation will require a whole-of-society effort.".'

The Twitter Public Policy account replied to Murthy's statement. It read, "We agree, @Surgeon_General. Combating health misinformation requires a whole-of-society approach. Thanks for your leadership.". It further read, "As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves around the world, we’ll continue to do our part to elevate authoritative health information.".

A Facebook spokesperson, however, said in a statement, "We will not be distracted by the accusations which aren't supported by facts.". He further mentioned how Facebook had contributed in making people aware of regarding COVID-29 pandemic and vaccines. He said, "The fact is that more than 2 billion people have viewed authoritative information about COVID-19 and vaccines on Facebook, which is more than any other place on the internet.". "More than 3.3 million Americans have used our vaccine finder tool to find out where and how to get a vaccine. The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period.", he added.

IMAGE: AP