The vast majority of advertisements on Facebook spreading misinformation about vaccines are paid by just two organisations, according to a study that highlights the role of social media in giving a platform to unscientific anti-vaccine messages.
Researchers, including those from the University of Maryland in the US, found that a small group of anti-vaccine ad buyers has successfully leveraged Facebook to reach targeted audiences.
The study, published in the journal Vaccine, also showed that the social media platform's efforts to improve transparency have actually led to the removal of ads promoting vaccination and communicating scientific findings.
The research calls attention to the threat of social media misinformation as it may contribute to increasing "vaccine hesitancy," which the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks among the top threats to global health this year, the researchers said.
This increasing reluctance or refusal to vaccinate threatens to reverse the progress made in halting vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, which has seen a 30 per cent increase in cases globally, they said.
The researchers examined more than 500 vaccine-related ads served to Facebook users and archived in Facebook's Ad Library.
This archive, which became available in late 2018, catalogued ad content related to "issues of national importance."
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