Surgeon general demands Big Tech hand over data on COVID 'misinformation'
by Art Moore
President Biden's surgeon general on Thursday demanded that the major social media companies submit detailed information about the COVID-19 "misinformation" on their platforms.
The surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, wants to know "exactly how many users saw or may have been exposed to instances of Covid-19 misinformation." In his notice, he also asked for aggregate data on demographic groups that may have been disproportionately affected by the misinformation, the New York Times reported.
With a deadline of May 2, Murthy also demanded the Big Tech companies provide information about the major sources of COVID-19 "misinformation," including those selling "unproven" products, services and treatments.
"Technology companies now have the opportunity to be open and transparent with the American people about the misinformation on their platforms," Murthy said in an emailed statement to the Times.
"This is about protecting the nation's health."
The Times noted that denying a request for information "does not carry a penalty, but the notice represents the first formal request from the Biden administration of the tech companies to submit Covid-19 misinformation data, according to the surgeon general's office."
The White House has stepped into the controversy over top-rated podcaster Joe Rogan's interviews with prominent medical scientists Dr. Robert Malone and Dr. Peter McCullough, essentially calling for censorship. Press secretary Jan Psaki has declared that flagging "misinformation" contrary to the government's narrative is not enough, and social media platforms must do more.
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