Labour has urged the government to take tougher action against social media companies that fail to remove anti-vaccination content, as analysis shows prominent anti-vaxxers still have nearly 1.5 million followers on platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Telegram. The party accused ministers of complacency on what it described as 'a matter of life and death'.
The shadow culture secretary, Lucy Powell, said the spread of vaccine misinformation online was hitting vaccine uptake and called for financial and criminal penalties for tech firms that allow serious harm. She highlighted that around 10% of eligible people have not had their first vaccine, rising to 17% for a second dose, while 42% have not yet received a booster.
Labour's analysis found that conspiracy theorist David Icke, who wrongly claims coronavirus is spread by 5G, is among the most popular anti-vaxxers. Disinformation is also hosted on the alternative streaming site BrandNewTube, with videos amassing up to 3.7 million views, raising fears that people are being deterred from getting jabbed during a crucial stage of the booster programme.
Powell criticised the government for winding down the counter-disinformation policy forum in June 2021, which had brought together social media companies, academics and fact-checkers. A government spokesperson said the counter-disinformation unit still exists and continues to work with social media firms, adding that new online safety laws would force companies into action.
A senior government source dismissed Labour's claims as 'their own misinformation' and said the counter-disinformation unit had not been stood down. The World Health Organization warned in 2019 that vaccine hesitancy was one of the top 10 threats to global health, stressing the need for credible information about inoculation.
