Biden Warns Of Misinformation

Misinformation spreading on social media platforms and cable television is fueling vaccine hesitancy, President Biden said Tuesday, according to The Hill.

“The unvaccinated are responsible for their own choices. But those choices have been fueled by dangerous misinformation on cable TV and social media,” Biden said during remarks about the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“These companies and personalities are making money by peddling lies and allowing misinformation that can kill their own customers and their own supporters. It's wrong. It's immoral. I call on the bearers of these lies and misinformation to stop it, stop it now,” he added. 

Biden’s comments Tuesday come as the omicron variant spreads across the country, now making up about three-quarters of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Biden said that vaccinated Americans, especially those who have received a booster shot, will be largely protected from severe illness from the omicron variant and made a plea for anyone who has yet to get vaccinated to do so. 

“Let me say again and again and again and again, please get vaccinated. It’s the only responsible thing to do. Those who are not vaccinated are causing hospitals to become overrun again,” he said.

The latest comments build on the administration's pressure for social media companies to crack down on health misinformation. 

In July, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory calling misinformation an “urgent threat” and calling for tech companies to take action against the false claims. At the time, Biden went so far as to say social media platforms are “killing people” by allowing the content, but later walked it back by placing the blame on the spreaders of the misinformation using platforms like Facebook.