Facebook has recently added prompts to its repertoire of pro-vaccine campaigning, urging its vast userbase to get vaccinated once as soon as availability in their local region surfaces.
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from extinguished, but the onset of vaccines have had the world breathe a collective sigh of relief. As certain countries open up both schools and borders, some semblance of normalcy is creeping back in. Naturally (or of might venture to say unnaturally), there is some public friction to this procedure. The anti-vaccination campaign trudges on, attempting to spread slander and dissent both online and offline. The movement's social media presence is particularly distressing, as it attempts to dissuade impressionable and uninformed minds via unfounded, baseless conspiracy theories ranging anywhere from poison to government tracking. Accordingly, it falls upon platforms such as Facebook to conduct appropriate self-regulation.
This new prompt is the latest in a long line of measures social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have taken in order to curb online anti-vaxxer rhetoric. The social network, particularly, has added warning labels to posts featuring unfounded or unscientific claims regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. These posts can also be subjected to a reduced reach, or even policy strikes, and their authors could face being banned from the platform altogether for repeated infarctions. Part of Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters will even be converted into a public vaccination center, as the company attempts to actively distance itself from the small yet vocal anti-vaccination campaigners on its outlet.
This latest prompt is both informational and encouraging in nature. Not only does the prompt urge Facebook's massive userbase to get themselves vaccinated, it also only show up in regions where vaccination programs have started in full swing, acting as an indicator for individuals not well-versed in current affairs. It should be noted that this new update is an in-feed attachment, and does not appear as a notification alert on one's devices. Alongside this measure, Facebook has also updated its COVID-19 Information Center, supplying it with tools and data that display where in the US individuals can get vaccinated and eligibility criteria.
The in-feed prompt, much like the Information Center's location tool, seems to be limited to the United States, as a statement from Facebook chooses to clarify. The statement also likens this interface update to a similar motion displayed earlier, when the company urged users in the USA to register for voting.
Read next: Facebook Rolls Out New Feature to Help People Seek Emotional Health Support
The COVID-19 pandemic is far from extinguished, but the onset of vaccines have had the world breathe a collective sigh of relief. As certain countries open up both schools and borders, some semblance of normalcy is creeping back in. Naturally (or of might venture to say unnaturally), there is some public friction to this procedure. The anti-vaccination campaign trudges on, attempting to spread slander and dissent both online and offline. The movement's social media presence is particularly distressing, as it attempts to dissuade impressionable and uninformed minds via unfounded, baseless conspiracy theories ranging anywhere from poison to government tracking. Accordingly, it falls upon platforms such as Facebook to conduct appropriate self-regulation.
This new prompt is the latest in a long line of measures social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have taken in order to curb online anti-vaxxer rhetoric. The social network, particularly, has added warning labels to posts featuring unfounded or unscientific claims regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. These posts can also be subjected to a reduced reach, or even policy strikes, and their authors could face being banned from the platform altogether for repeated infarctions. Part of Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters will even be converted into a public vaccination center, as the company attempts to actively distance itself from the small yet vocal anti-vaccination campaigners on its outlet.
This latest prompt is both informational and encouraging in nature. Not only does the prompt urge Facebook's massive userbase to get themselves vaccinated, it also only show up in regions where vaccination programs have started in full swing, acting as an indicator for individuals not well-versed in current affairs. It should be noted that this new update is an in-feed attachment, and does not appear as a notification alert on one's devices. Alongside this measure, Facebook has also updated its COVID-19 Information Center, supplying it with tools and data that display where in the US individuals can get vaccinated and eligibility criteria.
The in-feed prompt, much like the Information Center's location tool, seems to be limited to the United States, as a statement from Facebook chooses to clarify. The statement also likens this interface update to a similar motion displayed earlier, when the company urged users in the USA to register for voting.
Read next: Facebook Rolls Out New Feature to Help People Seek Emotional Health Support
