Ads on Facebook are spreading misinformation about anti-HIV drugs
While many are focused on Facebook's unwillingness to curb false political ads, there appears to be another misinformation campaign going unchecked. The Guardian and GLAAD have noted that personal injury law firms continue to run Facebook ads making false claims about the risks of Truvada, a drug meant to reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission. Some float the specters of bone loss and kidney damage despite evidence that the risks of either are "not clinically significant," according to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
GLAAD said it contacted Facebook's public policy team and reached out to five fact-checking agencies, but the social network answered by pointing to a public ad policy page explaining why ads can be removed. In response, GLAAD posted an open letter asking Facebook to remove the ads, with support coming from 50 organizations, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Senator Elizabeth Warren. The advocacy group is buying ads on Facebook to promote the letter among the LGBTQ+ community.
We've asked Facebook for comment.
(Score: 1) by Acabatag on Monday December 16 2019, @11:23PM (1 child)
Is there really no advertising on SN? I guess these days I have no way to know....
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday December 17 2019, @03:44PM
#1 No advertisements built into the UI. Unlike 99% of the internet.
#2 The Soylent News staff is run by volunteers, who have stated they don't post advertisement stories. They don't post stories they are being paid to post, that they aren't getting kickbacks to post, or other advertisement like things.
At some point, you gotta trust someone and until proven otherwise, I trust that they're not posting advertisements.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"