Facebook has taken down the official page of conspiracy theorist David Icke for publishing “health misinformation that could cause physical harm”.
Icke has made several false claims about coronavirus, such as suggesting 5G mobile phone networks are linked to the spread of the virus. In one video, he suggested a Jewish group was behind the virus.
Facebook said in a statement: “We have removed this Page for repeatedly violating our policies on harmful misinformation”.Facebook has recognized that the conspiracy theories repeatedly promoted by David Icke fall into its bracket of harmful misinformation. This isn’t the first time it has removed content from him – but the platform has gone one step further in taking down his page.
On Friday, campaign group the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) published an open letter calling on tech companies to ban Mr. Icke’s accounts.
The letter said Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube had amplified “Icke’s racism and misinformation about Covid-19 to millions of people”. It was co-signed by MP Damian Collins, as well as celebrity medics Dr. Christian Jessen, Dr. Dawn Harper, and Dr. Pixie McKenna.
An interview with David Icke in which he shares his unsubstantiated views on the causes of the COVID-19 outbreak is being investigated by Ofcom.
Source: BBC.com
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