Citing “invasion of privacy”, Facebook axes post asking for info on those aged 60+ who haven’t received the coronavirus vaccination.
Facebook now considers itself government department, legal authority, judge and jury.
On Monday it removed a post by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it violated the social media giant’s privacy policies.
Netanyahu had posted a call for the public to provide details about people over the age of 60 who have not yet been vaccinated against the coronavirus so that he can convince them to get the vaccine shot, Kan News reported.
The post was distributed via the prime minister’s chat bot, which was also blocked by the social network.
“In accordance with our privacy policy, we do not allow sharing content or requesting medical information from people,” Facebook Israel said in a statement. “Following the violation of these rules, we removed the post and temporarily suspended the chat bot in the messenger that shared this content.”
The non-governmental watchdog organization Privacy Israel said the initial complaint was filed by a university professor and a private citizen.
“Thanks to the publication of Anat Ben-David and an application of Shachar Ben Meir – Facebook blocked (again) Benjamin Netanyahu’s chatbot. This time about users being asked to provide details about their unvaccinated relatives – which is contrary to Facebook’s privacy policy,” the organization tweeted.
“The plight and innocence of the people who want to protect their loved ones is clear, but you should not share personal, medical data, and the political positions of your parents and grandparents online, visible to all, and certainly without their consent, certainly during an election period,” tweeted Ben Meir, an associate professor of Communications at Israel’s Open University.
A statement issued by Netanyahu’s Likud Party said the posting was intended for the public good.
“The goal was to encourage Israelis over the age of 60 to get vaccinated to save their lives after Prime Minister Netanyahu brought vaccines to every Israeli citizen,” the Likud statement said. “We call on everyone to get vaccinated so that we can open up the economy and be the first in the world to emerge from the corona.”
(World Israel News).
