Facebook deleted a message from President Donald Trump comparing COVID-19 to seasonal influenza, while Twitter added a warning that the message contained “misleading” information.
Trump, who recently returned from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after testing positive for coronavirus, wrote Tuesday on Facebook and Twitter that Americans deserve to adapt to the presence of COVID-19 as they did with seasonal influenza.
“The flu season is coming! Every year, many other people, more than 100,000 more people, and despite the vaccine, die of the flu,” Trump wrote. “Are we going to close our country? No, we have. be informed to live with, as well as be informed to live with Covid, in the maximum of much less fatal populations !!!”
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In a statement, Facebook showed that Trump’s post had been removed. “We deleted data on the gravity of COVID-19 and now we’ve deleted this message,” the corporation said.
Twitter updated Trump’s message by warning that the tweet violated its policies to spread pandemic-like “misleading and potentially destructive information. “
“However, Twitter has made the decision that it may be in the public interest for the Tweet to remain accessible,” the social networking site said.
Recent studies through Harvard and Cornell indicate that Trump is the largest source of incorrect information about the pandemic and elections.
Social media platforms have faced increased pressure to act on Trump posts containing misleading information. In May, Twitter posted its position on Trump, reviewing tweets and adding warnings. In response, Trump said he would take strong action against social media companies.
Facebook also replaced its position after saying, first, that it would maintain a non-interventionist technique for Trump’s posts. His initial position prompted complaints from existing and previous employees.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: ‘brettmolina23’.