SYDNEY: Australian celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans has been barred by Facebook for repeatedly spreading myths about the coronavirus.
Evans was a prominent proponent of conspiracy theories about the pandemic and vaccines. He has more than a million social media followers.
On December 24, Facebook said it would not “allow anyone to share misinformation about Covid-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm” or falsehoods about vaccines for Covid-19.
We have strict policies against this type of content and, for repeated violations of these policies. So, we have deleted Chef Pete Evans’ Facebook Page”.
With 278,000 followers, however, the former chef’s Instagram page, a Facebook-owned website is still active. It contains posts that encourage residents of Sydney to defy public health officials and refuse to get vaccination for the virus.
Pete Evans
The largest city in Australia is currently struggling to contain a cluster of more than 100 instances that have ended months of low group transmission.
On Instagram on December 24, Evans said that he was happy to be “one of the catalysts for a conversation” on freedom of speech. At the same time, he also described the science around the pandemic as “BS”
Some high-profile accounts that peddled disinformation and hate speech, most notably those of conspirator Alex Jones and far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos, were previously blocked by Facebook.
Facebook has also declared a ban on accounts belonging to the QAnon conspiracy party, under fierce scrutiny and criticism that the site is debasing public discourse.
Previously, Evans was notorious for pushing pseudoscientific diet theories, mostly related to his own companies. For example, the Palaeolithic diet, gaining him the nickname “Paleo” Pete.
Several businesses recently fired Evans. Because he shared a “black sun” Nazi symbol on social media. In addition, They also remove his books from the shelves.
Evans opposes trafficking in lies, and denounces what he terms “fear-based propaganda.”
“The pandemic is a hoax. It is as simple as that” he told AFP earlier this year, without having any credible evidence. AFP-
More Information About:
- Technology today: Virtual reality technology
- China’s cosmetic brand Perfect Diary attracts customers via social media
Content source:
Facebook bans Australian celebrity chef Evans over virus misinformation
Comments