For another six months until June 2022, the monitoring of internet misinformation about coronavirus has been extended and millions of misleading advertisements for COVID have been removed, according to the European Commission.
The blocked ads in Cyprus are 38.648, the blocked offers are 98 and the blocked URLs are 364.
More than 2020 million coronavirus-related ads have been blocked or removed since January 103 - including shopping advertisements - by EU-based advertisers and buyers for policy violations, including price increases, exploitation of global medical supply shortages, misleading claims about treatments and bogus doses.
Also, have suspended more than 1.960 accounts, including those of EU-based advertisers, for attempting to bypass systems including Covid-related ads and promotions. More than 19.000 URLs with Covid-related content have also been cracked down on under the misleading content policy for harmful health claims.
Recent reports indicate that YouTube has expanded its medical misinformation policy to include claims for vaccines that run counter to the consent of the local health authority or the World Health Organization. TikTok has increased the number of keywords / hashtags that can trigger tags and banners associated with COVID-19 and vaccines. Twitter has updated its policy on misleading information about vaccines. Microsoft's LinkedIn has expanded its reach with Europeans to spread the word about vaccination. Meta / Facebook has updated its child vaccination policies worldwide COVID-19, for example false content claiming that vaccines do not exist for children or that they are unsafe and unchecked.
Recently, 26 new candidate signatories have joined the drafting process to strengthen the Code of Practice for Misinformation, which is now expected by the end of March 2022. The extended timetable will allow signatories to draft a robust instrument with detailed commitments.
philenews.com