The line of inquiry was generated after Facebook
whistleblower Frances Haugen used internal documents to disclose that the
social media platform has built a system that exempts high-profile users from
some or all of its rules.
In the letter, which was sent on Wednesday, the 14
Democratic attorneys general said they are "extremely concerned" with
recent reports that Facebook maintained lists of members who have received
special treatment and want to know if the "Disinformation Dozen" were
part of those lists.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate describes the
"Disinformation Dozen" as 12 anti-vaxxers who are responsible for
almost two-thirds of anti-vaccine content circulating on social media
platforms.
Facebook spokesman Alex Burgos pointed to earlier comments
by the company that it had removed over three dozen pages, groups, and Facebook
or Instagram accounts linked to those 12 people, including at least one linked
to each of the 12, for violating its policies. It has also applied penalties to
some of their website domains.
COVID-19 disinformation has proliferated during the pandemic
on social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Researchers and
lawmakers have long accused Facebook of failing to police harmful content on
its platforms.
In July, US President Joe Biden said social media platforms
like Facebook "are killing people" for allowing misinformation about
coronavirus vaccines to be posted on its platform.
Haugen, a former product manager on Facebook's civic
misinformation team, left the company with tens of thousands of confidential
documents and has called for transparency about how Facebook entices users to
keep scrolling, creating ample opportunity for advertisers to reach them.
The letter was sent by the attorneys general of Connecticut,
California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. -Reuters
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