President Joe Biden did not mince words when asked what role platforms such as Facebook play in misinformation about COVID. Biden told reporters he was "killing people."
Joe Biden spoke to reporters for a moment on Friday and was asked: "In the misinformation about COVID, what is your message on platforms like Facebook?"
"They are killing people," Biden said. "Well, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they kill people. "
Reporter: "On Covid misinformation, what's your message to platforms like Facebook?"
- Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 16, 2021
President @JoeBiden: "They're killing people." pic.twitter.com/YnkQ30IddJ
Facebook currently hosts many important vaccine misinformation accounts. At the Center for Counting Digital Hate, founded in May, for example, just 12 people produce 65 percent of the vaccine misinformation circulating on the web.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday that all of these accounts remain on Facebook and that the platform "should move faster and remove harmful breaches."
Psaki and the president's comments signal an increase in pressure from the White House on technology companies to censor.
Vaccination rates have slowed in the United States. More than 48% of all Americans - of any age - are fully vaccinated, and 68% of adults have received at least one dose.
