Covid, Facebook obscures 100 thousand Italian doctors group

Scientific discussions between doctors, behind closed doors, on published studies, exchanged by the Facebook algorithm for ‘false information on Covid’, with the consequent obscuring of the page dedicated only to white coats – ‘Coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2 and Covid – 19 ‘, known as the’ group of 100,000 doctors’ – which in the emergency represented an important point of reference, both for the exchange of scientific data and ’emotions’ related to the pandemic, as well as for health battles such as the one in support masks at school. For Facebook, however, the page ‘violates our standards for disinformation that could cause physical violence. We encourage freedom of expression but we do not allow the dissemination of false information relating to Covid-19 that can cause physical damage “, reads the disabling notice of 4 days ago.” It is paradoxical – Paolo Mezzana explains to Adnkronos Salute, one of the moderators of the group – that on Facebook there may be ‘no passes’ and non-doctors discussing scientific data, the result of research, among themselves. The insights on topics that need to be evaluated are considered as the ‘free words’ of keyboard lions. Thus a form of ‘automatic censorship’ is encountered, the algorithm must be perfected otherwise it becomes harmful. As in this case. I remember that the blacked-out page, in which well-known colleagues participate – I quote only Roberto Burioni and Massimo Clementi – was very important in these difficult months to confront and put together all the scientific information possible to fight a virus about which we knew almost nothing. The posts and insights represented an archive of great importance for all of us “. The page, moreover,” also represented an important space from the human point of view, because the moods that accompanied us were expressed and shared. ‘formed’ in this serious emergency “, explains Mezzana, recalling the book born from the group’s experience,” Viral emotions. The voices of the doctors from the pandemic “, published by ‘The scientific thought’ and which has had a lot of feedback.” What we regret most is that Facebook does not respond to our protests. They block us without the possibility of an appeal “, concludes Mezzana who fears a similar fate for other groups of doctors.