Ads On Facebook Are Distributing Misinformation Regarding Anti-HIV Drugs

While a number of users are aimed on unwillingness of Facebook to stop fake political ads, there seems to be one more misinformation campaign being ignored. GLAAD and The Guardian have noted that personal injury law companies carry on running Facebook ads making fake claims about the dangers of Truvada, a drug intended to lower the chances of HIV transmission. Some float the visions of kidney damage and bone loss in spite of proof that the dangers of either are “not clinically major,” as per the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

GLAAD claimed that it had made contact with public policy team of Facebook and reached out to 5 fact-checking companies, but the social network responded by highlighting to a public ad policy page clarifying why ads can be eliminated. In reaction, GLAAD posted an open letter requesting Facebook to erase the ads, with support arriving from 50 agencies, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Cuomo (the New York Governor). The advocacy group is purchasing ads on Facebook to market the letter amongst the LGBTQ+ society. The media has asked Facebook for answers regarding this matter. The social media firm has not yet responded.

The ads are probably just efforts to spur lawsuits in opposition to Gilead, the manufacturer of Truvada. On the other hand, there is a concern that they can do serious damage by discouraging the employment of preventative drugs and increasing the spread of HIV. They also show mixed track record of Facebook in supporting LGBTQ+ users. While the social media firm has turned out to be more comprehensive with alterations to its support for custom gender identities and real name policy, it has also attracted heat for inadvertently banning LGBTQ+ ads and states that it is careless on erasing homophobic material. In simple words, the ads questioning Truvada are corroding an already delicate sense of trust.