The Misinformation Twelve: The Main Source of Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric on Social Media

When a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate revealed that a staggering amount of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on social media can be traced back to just twelve individuals, journalists were quick to seek a response from President Joe Biden. His blunt comment, “They’re killing people,” sparked controversy, leading him to clarify that he wasn’t blaming Facebook directly but urging the platform to take action against the “outrageous misinformation” surrounding vaccines.

These twelve individuals, well-known figures in the anti-vaccine movement—such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Sherri Tenpenny, and Joseph Mercola—are responsible for a whopping 73% of all anti-vaccine misinformation on Facebook, and 65% across both Facebook and Twitter combined. Alarmingly, 95% of this misinformation has not been removed, despite violating the platforms’ policies.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate has urged social media platforms to de-platform these individuals and their associated organizations. They also advocate for the implementation of corrective posts for users exposed to anti-vaccine misinformation, warning screens on related third-party sites, a ban on private anti-vaccine Facebook groups, and stronger accountability measures for those who violate existing policies.

A Disturbing Influence

According to the CCDH report, the Misinformation Twelve and their affiliates boast a staggering 59.2 million followers—a figure that should alarm anyone using social media. The top twenty anti-vaccine advocates account for two-thirds of this total. Their YouTube channels alone have an estimated 800,000 subscribers, with countless anti-vaccine videos readily available.

Dear YouTube, these videos and the ads promoting the Misinformation Twelve’s websites clearly violate your policies. It’s time to take action.

False Claims Abound

The misinformation propagated by these individuals is varied and dangerous. For instance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine causes more deaths than the virus itself. Sayer Ji, associated with GreenMedInfo.com, made the outrageous claim that the Pfizer vaccine killed far more elderly individuals than COVID-19 would have.

Conspiracy theories also abound, with claims that vaccines are part of a plot for vaccine passports and are tied to harmful agendas involving figures like Bill Gates. Some anti-vaxxers believe that the vaccine causes infertility, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Moreover, there are those who assert that COVID-19 can be cured with home remedies like hot spices and excessive water intake, while others suggest dangerous treatments such as hydrogen peroxide diffusion.

In essence, this misinformation promotes a narrative of purity, suggesting that only the unvaccinated are “pure” and that the vaccinated are somehow compromised. This rhetoric is often intertwined with broader conspiracy theories and can lead to harmful ideologies.

The Need for Action

It’s evident that the Misinformation Twelve pose a significant threat to public health. The CDC has labeled the situation a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” and research shows that a large portion of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. occur among unvaccinated individuals.

The time has come for social media platforms to take decisive action against this dangerous misinformation.

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Summary:

The Misinformation Twelve are the primary source of anti-vaccine propaganda on social media, as highlighted in a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate. With millions of followers, their dangerous claims about COVID-19 vaccines pose a significant threat to public health, necessitating immediate action from social media platforms to curb their influence and protect communities.