Anti-Vaxxers Use Emojis To Evade Social Media Bans

Bloomberg News reports:

Anti-vaxxers, whose activity is limited on many platforms, have started using elaborate quotes and phrases to spread cloaked misinformation about the drugs that help fight Covid-19. In Facebook groups with names like “Died Suddenly,” users claim to be mourning friends and family members who have “eaten the cake,” which is code for taking vaccines.

Sometimes, users claim that loved ones have taken four or five “slices” of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, using emoji for pizza, cupcakes and various fruits to express their point. Emoji have represented a stumbling block for social media firms for years — for example when they’re used to veil racist messages — leaving moderators scrambling to keep up.

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Anti-vaccine posts are still lurking on Facebook, thanks to coded language and emoji https://t.co/MMPZkG38Qu

— Bloomberg (@business) October 19, 2022