Facebook has announced it is temporarily banning ads and commerce listings that are selling medical face masks.
In an effort to prevent exploitation of its platform by those who intend to take advantage of Coronavirus fears to sell medical face masks, Facebook has announced a temporary ban on related ads and commerce listings.
The temporary ban on Facebook ads and listings on Marketplace will start to be enforced this week, whereas Facebook already prohibits “people from making health or medical claims related to the coronavirus in product listings on commerce surfaces,” such as those that “guarantee a product will prevent someone from contracting” COVID-19.
The company also announced that it has created “a dedicated channel,” especially for local governments to share any listings they feel are violating local laws. Furthermore, Facebook says its teams are actively monitoring the situation, and more policy changes or updates may be necessary as they identify “people trying to exploit this public health emergency.”
Update: We’re banning ads and commerce listings selling medical face masks. We’re monitoring COVID19 closely and will make necessary updates to our policies if we see people trying to exploit this public health emergency. We’ll start rolling out this change in the days ahead.
— Rob Leathern (@robleathern) March 7, 2020
The move is more of a deterrent against price gouging by certain unscrupulous retailers. Still, Facebook’s primary concern is to make sure that it’s not blamed for and Coronavirus-related issues – the spread of misinformation being a major one.
In separate updates last week, Facebook has also announced efforts to remove misinformation on Instagram, Tweeting that “when someone taps on a hashtag related to COVID-19,” they are instead shown resources from the World Health Organization, the CDC, and local health authorities.
We’re removing known harmful misinformation related to COVID-19, and when someone taps on a hashtag related to COVID-19, we show resources from @WHO, @CDC and local health authorities. pic.twitter.com/Dw2Y8ZwfaI
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) March 6, 2020
Further to the above, Instagram‘s teams are sending posts that may be misleading to fact-checking partners for review, blocking and restricting hashtags used to spread misinformation, and banning any ads that are exploiting the situation.
Finally, we’re thinking through a longer term solution to help connect people searching COVID-19 related terms with credible information. In the meantime, we’re showing the accounts of leading health organizations in these searches to better connect people to credible resources. pic.twitter.com/RUNwJh94Cf
— Instagram Comms (@InstagramComms) March 6, 2020
You might also like
More from Facebook
Meta Introduces Facebook Reels API, Offering An Option To ‘Share To Reels’
Meta has introduced the Facebook Reels API, a solution allowing developers to build a 'share to reels' option into their …
Meta Rolls Out Horizon Worlds In France And Spain
Meta Horizon Worlds, the VR community and game, is now available in France and Spain.
Meta Offers Digital Security Course For Journalists And Human Rights Defenders
The Meta Journalism Project and the ICFJ have put together a self-paced 90-minute course and webinars to provide online safety …
Facebook Tests New Desktop Layout Redesign
Reports say that some users are starting to see a new Facebook desktop layout, with all options listed on a …
Meta May Soon Alert You When Your Posts Are Removed By AI
According to reports, Meta is rolling out a system that notifies users when their posts are removed and how.
Meta Is Working On A Universal Speech Translator
Meta's latest AI project seeks to extend advanced translation options to lesser-used languages and to develop a universal speech translator.
Instagram Retires Boomerang And Hyperlapse Standalone Apps
Boomerang and Hyperlapse standalone apps have been removed from app stores as their functionality is already available within Reels.
Meta Demos Voice Controlled Builder Bot That Creates VR Spaces
Meta's latest AI research introduces a prototype technology capable of generating immersive objects through voice commands only.
Facebook Is Removing The Ability To Create Profile Frames
As part of its efforts to continue banning anti-vax messages, Meta is removing the ability for users to create frames.
