Meta is rolling back some of its COVID-19 misinformation policies after consulting with its independent oversight advisory board.
The changes follow the World Health Organization downgrading COVID-19 from a global health emergency May 5, according to a June 16 update to the company's original July 26, 2022, statement on COVID-19 misinformation.
"Our Covid-19 misinformation rules will no longer be in effect globally as the global public health emergency declaration that triggered those rules has been lifted," the statement said, adding that it will "take a more tailored approach to our Covid-19 misinformation rules" and continue to remove content that violates its policies in countries where there is still an emergency declaration.
The changes are concerning to physicians and public health experts, according to a June 19 report from ABC News.
"The ramifications are huge because the pandemic is not over yet. The end of the emergency doesn't mean that it's still not a threat," infectious diseases specialist Peter Chin-Hong, MD, told ABC News.