Instagram Promises To Block Anti-vaccine Hashtags

Instagram promises to block anti-vaccine hashtags

Amid an ongoing social media campaign of misinformation about vaccine use, Instagram plans to block anti-vaccine hashtags. Three weeks ago, Facebook, which owns the company, unveiled plans to tackle anti-vaccination content. But the other day in the mainstream media there were reports that the promised measures have not yet been taken.

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Amid an ongoing social media campaign of misinformation about vaccine use, Instagram plans to block anti-vaccine hashtags.

Three weeks ago, Facebook unveiled plans to tackle anti-vaccination content, which included a promise not to promote anti-vaccine posts on Instagram searches.

However, on March 21, US media reported that Facebook and Instagram search functions continued to recommend posts with false information about vaccine use, including groups and hashtags that link vaccinations to autism.

“As part of our work to eliminate medical disinformation on Instagram, we are looking for ways to minimize the recommendation of such content and accounts that post disinformation,” a company spokesman said.

The company also said the planned "short-term measures" will include blocking hashtags related to medical misinformation, including #vaccinescauseautism, #vaccinesarepoison and #vaccinescauseids. On Thursday, these hashtags were still working, but representatives of the Instagram company remind that it was previously discussed that it will take several weeks to take action. Clicking on a blocked Instagram hashtag should lead to a blank page. Such hashtags will not appear in the search.

In the US, parliamentarians and public health advocates are increasingly trying to influence major social networks to take more action against content that calls for vaccine refusal. They argue that the spread of misinformation has fueled a whole social movement of those who refuse to vaccinate themselves and prevent their children from getting vaccinated.

The recent outbreaks of measles in the United States and the huge incidence of measles in Europe are in part due to an increase in the number of anti-vaccines. Experts warn that the movement is actively using social media to promote its views.