Instagram Expands Blocking Anti-Vaccination Hashtags

New Scientist reports:

Instagram is cracking down on misinformation about vaccinations by blocking hashtags that include verifiably false information about the subject.

Phase one of the crackdown involved removing hashtags promoting overt medical misinformation about vaccines — such as #VaccinesCauseAutism or #VaccinesCauseAIDS, both of which have been debunked by leading public health organizations.

Now, Instagram says it is looking to block hashtags that surface content promoting verifiably false vaccine misinformation. This means it will block any hashtag — including something innocuous like #Vaccines1234 — if it contains a high volume of vaccine misinformation..