Facebook to ban coronavirus ‘cure’ ads

Facebook will no longer permit ads that promise a cure for the Covid-19 coronavirus, Business Insider reported Wednesday. 

“We recently implemented a policy to prohibit ads that refer to the coronavirus and create a sense of urgency, like implying a limited supply, or guaranteeing a cure or prevention. We also have policies for surfaces like Marketplace that prohibit similar behavior,” a Facebook spokesperson told the outlet. 

Facebook said in late January that it will work to “limit the spread of misinformation and harmful content about the virus and [connect] people to helpful information.” This included using Facebook’s network of third-party fact-checkers to identify misinformation about the virus, and removing content with “false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations and local health authorities.” 

Finally, Facebook said at the time it would remove “claims related to false cures or prevention methods — like drinking bleach cures the coronavirus — or claims that create confusion about health resources that are available.” The new ad removal policy seems to be just a continuation of these efforts. 

Facebook’s action follows Amazon’s recent efforts to remove fake products that are promising to treat or cure coronavirus. 

There’s also been an increase in malware and spam campaigns related to the coronavirus outbreak, including (likely phishing) sites that promise “detection tests” for the virus, as well as malware that promises to report the spread of coronavirus in Japan, but instead points people to download a malicious email attachment. 

The coronavirus outbreak has so far killed 2,700 people and infected 80,239, with the majority of cases being registered in China.