Facebook announces steps to tackle anti-vaccine groups, misinformation

Social media giant Facebook says it will take steps to minimize the presence of groups and pages that spread misinformation about vaccinations.

It’s the latest step Facebook and others are taking to stem the tide of misinformation on social media sites.

Facebook says it will take its cue from global health organizations, such as the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which have publicly identified verifiable vaccine hoaxes.

If groups and pages spread those hoaxes, they won’t appear in recommendations or in predictions functions when searched for in Facebook. Ads with similar information will be rejected.

And content that contains the misinformation won’t be shown on Instagram Explore or hashtag pages.