Facebook's uphill battle in fighting anti-vaxxers

Critics say the anti-vaxxers on the platform are fueling Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [View on the web]( [Recode]( [Click to view images]( [Facebook is finally cracking down hard on anti-vaccine content. It is facing an uphill battle.]( For years, anti-vaccination groups gathered and flourished on Facebook. And for years, the company did nothing. It wasn't until 2019, when faced with political pressure about vaccine misinformation on its platform and a measles outbreak that was linked to anti-vaxx efforts, that Facebook announced changes designed to limit the distribution of anti-vaccine content. This included a ban on ads for vaccine misinformation and targeting ads to people interested in vaccine-related "controversies." Facebook finally announced a sweeping ban on anti-vaccine content last month, but some critics say it's too little too late. "No matter what the commitment is or the ideas made, at the end of the day … I can clearly see their priority was their job and the reputation of Facebook, versus the lives of Americans," said vaccine advocate Ethan Lindenberger, who said that Facebook groups helped convince his mother not to vaccinate him as a child against illnesses like measles. Rebecca Heilweil spoke to a number of critics like Lindenberger, some of whom used to be anti-vaxxers themselves, about what Facebook is finally doing to address the problem. [Click to view images]( [Big Tech targets DC with a digital charm offensive]( Facebook, Amazon, and Google ads are blanketing inside-the-Beltway newsletters in a bid to rehab their tarnished reputations. [ Gilad Edelman / [Wired]( ] [Click to view images]( [Mark Zuckerberg says realistic avatars are Facebook's next big VR bet]( Eye and face tracking would amp up VR social features [ Adi Robertson / [The Verge]( ] [Click to view images]( [Tech's legal shield appears likely to survive as Congress focuses on details]( Section 230 isn't expected to be revoked, but even the more modest proposals for weakening it could have effects that ripple across the internet. [ David McCabe / [New York Times]( ] [Click to view images]( [Twitter sues Texas attorney general over investigation into content moderation practices]( The filing argued that Ken Paxton abused his power by launching an investigation in retaliation for the platform's suspension of former President Donald Trump. [ Benjamin Din / [Politico]( ] [Click to view images]( [Heartbreaking stories of people who got scammed on Tinder during the pandemic]( Every social media site has scammers, but there's something extra depressing about people getting scammed on dating sites like Tinder. [ Matt Novak / [Gizmodo]( ] [This is Cool Section Title] [Scientists received a radio signal from the furthest reaches of space yet]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Facebook]( Twitter [Instagram]( [Recode by Vox]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences](, or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving emails from Vox Media. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.