Twitter’s COVID-19 misinformation stance shifts as policy changes unfold
Twitter has halted a campaign aimed at countering misinformation about COVID-19 on its platform. The update drew attention from media outlets, including CNN, which summarized the current state of affairs.
As stated on November 23, 2022, Twitter indicated that its anti-misleading policy no longer applies to COVID-19 topics. The company did not provide a public explanation beyond that notice, and it made modest edits to a section of its site that previously detailed Twitter’s position on COVID-19 and spotlighted journalists covering the issue.
CNN notes that Elon Musk, who leads the company, has frequently criticized public health measures related to COVID-19 in the United States. In remarks to Wall Street analysts in April 2020, Musk described quarantine measures as a form of forced imprisonment that could infringe on constitutional rights.
According to CNN’s review, Twitter removed more than 11,000 accounts for disseminating COVID-19 misinformation between January 2020 and September 2022. In addition, roughly 100,000 posts were deleted for similar reasons during that period.
The change in policy has been acknowledged by medical professionals, with support from US health authorities. The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, has recommended that technology platforms adopt responsible practices when tackling misinformation, citing Twitter’s approach as a potential model for others in the field.
Formerly, reports from socialmedia outlets in Canada suggested Apple had pressured Musk to reconsider Twitter’s availability in the App Store, illustrating the broader pressure and scrutiny the platform faces as it navigates the evolving health information landscape.
Source: CNN; US Surgeon General statements; broader media coverage reflects ongoing debate about how social platforms should manage misinformation while balancing free expression on a global stage.