Facebook Ends Ban on Posts Describing COVID-19 as Man-Made

Facebook Ends Ban on Posts Describing COVID-19 as Man-Made

I have been covering the coronavirus story since early January 2020. when cases of a respiratory illness breaking out around a Wuhan, China seafood market first surfaced.

I scoured the international reports and American analysis. Finally, I wrote about evidence of a lab-leak origin on February 16, 2020.

I had optimism about my assessment of when case numbers would drop. My recommendations for exercise, a balanced diet, ventilation, and vitamins stand the test of time.

Yet, social media platforms have limited which of my coronavirus articles the Legal Insurrection team could share. Facebook flagged my items I shared on my page as “Fake News.” It threatened my account for some of the fact-rich analysis I offered (even though I had links to either medical journals or traditional news media source articles). Despite my biochemistry background and my professional experience in infection control, I was dismissed as a “conspiracy theorist” in comments when I challenged the articles that had the preferred narrative.

Now Facebook is making a “fact reversal” and will no longer ban posts claiming COVID-19 was man-made.

Facebook will no longer remove posts on its platform asserting COVID-19 was man-made, a new report said, as President Biden on Wednesday ordered US intelligence agencies to investigate if the virus came from a Chinese lab.

“In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of COVID-19 and in consultation with public health experts, we will no longer remove the claim that COVID-19 is man-made from our apps,” a Facebook spokesperson told Politico.

“We’re continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge,” the spokesperson told the outlet.

Facebook instituted the prohibition on mand-made coronavirus articles in February 2020. Facebook’s policy shift follows the Wall Street Journal reports about three scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology hospitalized in late 2019 with symptoms consistent with the virus.

The findings have reinvigorated the debate about the so-called Wuhan lab-leak theory, once dismissed as a fringe conspiracy theory.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he has ordered the intelligence community to “redouble” its efforts to find out the virus’ origin and report back in 90 days. Biden also revealed that the intelligence community is split between two theories about Covid-19’s origin, and said the review will examine “whether it emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident.” Bipartisan support is also building on Capitol Hill for a congressional inquiry.

But the focus of late has been on the notion that the virus may have accidentally escaped from the lab, not that it was man-made or purposely released — theories that could now propagate on Facebook. Genetic studies of the virus have found flaws in the protein it uses to bind to human cells. Those are features that someone trying to engineer a bioweapon likely would have avoided.

So Facebook bases its “debunking” procedures on the analysis of reporters who usually have a little scientific background and extract the “soundbite” they need to promote the narrative.  I am looking forward to seeing what this new insight might lead to in terms of reversing bans on other scientific topics (e.g., climate change and food science).

The media is not only accepting the possibility of a lab leak. The press is also open to the idea COVID is derived from a bio-manipulated pathogen in the laboratory. What an astonishing turnaround.

Also undergoing a big turnaround is the Democratic Party leadership’s attitude about the pandemic starting point.

Democrats had previously dismissed the lab leak theory as a GOP talking point. But lawmakers from both parties are giving the scenario renewed consideration after The Wall Street Journal reported that three scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalized in November 2019 after developing symptoms consistent with Covid-19 — just before the virus spread across China.

“As we analyze what went wrong and what we can do in the future, we have to have answers to these questions, too,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate’s health committee. “And I think you’re going to see Congress addressing some of these matters as well. We’ve got to get to the bottom of it.”

These developments make me wonder precisely what news about the virus is about to be unleashed.

In conclusion, I would like to say: Welcome to the party, pal.

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