Facebook shut down Australian cook Pete Evans’ page, accusing the local celebrity of using social media to spread disinformation about the coronavirus.
A page followed by a million people
This chef, who had acquired relative fame by participating in a television cooking program, has since the start of the pandemic become one of the figures of the Australian conspiracy movement. His page was followed by a million people.
But Facebook announced Thursday that it would not allow “anyone to spread false information about the Covid-19 that are likely to harm others ”or spread lies about Covid-19 vaccines.
Our policy is clear regarding this type of content and we have removed Chief Pete Evans’ Facebook page due to repeated violations of these policies.
, specifies the group in a press release.
“The pandemic is a hoax”
Mr. Evans’ page on Instagram – a platform owned by Facebook – is still active and followed by 278,000 people. It includes messages encouraging the people of Sydney to oppose the health authorities and not to go for testing.
Australia’s largest city is currently working to contain a source of contamination of more than 100 cases which ended a phase of several months when the epidemic was under control.
The pandemic is a hoax, it’s that simple
, he had told AFP a few months ago in an interview.
This is not the first time that Facebook has closed the accounts of personalities accused of spreading disinformation, at the risk of being accused of censorship.
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