Facebook lifts ban on speculations that COVID-19 was lab-made

• Facebook is now allowing content speculating that COVID-19 is lab-made.
• The social media platform has an ongoing policy of disallowing content that spread misinformation related to the coronavirus.
• The US government is currently investigating the origin of the disease.

Facebook has lifted its previous ban on content speculating about the possible lab-made origins of COVID-19, Politico reports.

A spokesperson of the social media company told The Hill, “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.”

“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,” they continued.

Over the past year, the social media platform’s policy has been targeting content considered to be misinformation about the pandemic.

Facebook announced in December that it would be removing content that spread false information about the coronavirus vaccines, such as false claims about the vaccines’ “safety, efficacy, ingredients, or side effects.” This list of banned content joins the previously more general content containing coronavirus misinformation.

There have been several theories as to where COVID-19 originated, and some had speculated that the virus was lab-made. Its exact true origin is still unclear as of now.

But in recent weeks, the theory of a lab-made COVID-19 gained some traction in Washington.

President Joe Biden recently stated, “I have asked for areas of further inquiry that may be required, including specific questions for China.”

“I have also asked that this effort include work by our National Labs and other agencies of our government to augment the Intelligence Community’s efforts. And I have asked the Intelligence Community to keep Congress fully apprised of its work,” the president continued.

Source: The Hill