SYDNEY – Facebook has removed Australian MP Craig Kelly’s page for repeatedly peddling Covid-19 pandemic misinformation, said the social media giant today.
He previously had posts blocked on the platform and was forced to quit the governing Liberal Party amid controversial statements on vaccine safety, lockdowns and unproven coronavirus treatments.
Facebook said it removed his popular page permanently after “repeated violations” of its policies.
“We don’t allow anyone, including elected officials, to share misinformation about Covid-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm, or Covid-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts,” said a spokesman in a statement.
Kelly’s Facebook account – in which he also frequently played down climate change – drew around six million video views and five million interactions last year, according to data tool CrowdTangle.
He told public broadcaster ABC that the tech giant’s decision amounts to “censorship”.
“The idea that they are some purveyors of all truth is just absolutely outrageous.”
Before being taken down, his page bore warnings about potential Covid-19 misinformation. Several posts had also been removed.
In February, Kelly quit the conservative government after being rebuked by Prime Minister Scott Morrison over his public statements, and after a failure to sack an aide facing multiple allegations of inappropriate touching.
Kelly is currently an independent MP. – AFP, April 26, 2021
