Pinterest announces new initiatives to fight against COVID-19 vaccine misinformation
Today we’re announcing initiatives that further our commitment to making sure COVID-19 vaccine content on Pinterest is reliable and trustworthy. We have been at the forefront of combating health misinformation and ensuring Pinners have access to reliable third-party sources for several years. In fact, we were one of the first platforms to implement a policy prohibiting health misinformation, including vaccine falsehoods, in 2017.
As a visual platform reaching more than 450 million monthly active Pinners worldwide, tackling health misinformation continues to be a priority. In February 2020, the team officially introduced our first phase of COVID misinformation efforts, including a custom search experience with results from experts, prohibiting ads that claimed to offer misleading cures or treatments for COVID-19 through our longstanding policies, and featuring expert information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as part of the introduction of our Today Tab, a source of daily inspiration.
Providing Pinners with reliable information is critical as COVID-19 vaccines become more available. That’s why we are expanding efforts by furthering our work with authoritative leaders such as health institutions, doctors, and community organizations to highlight expert content around COVID-19 and the vaccines on Pinterest. Through these collective efforts and a large donation of ad credits, Pinterest is aiming to reach all Pinners in the United States.
Pinterest is combating COVID-19 vaccine misinformation by:
Amplifying medical voices. Pinterest is partnering with the Association for Healthcare Social Media (AHSM), a national organization of healthcare professionals dedicated to engaging with audiences online to provide expert information about important medical topics. This network of professionals will create Story Pins that educate Pinners about COVID-19 vaccines, generate awareness about the importance of vaccination, and dispel myths.
Partnering with medical organizations that serve underrepresented groups. With underrepresented individuals in Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, we are committed to providing resources for organizations who advocate for these audiences. Pinterest is offering paid media, creative resources, and support for medical organizations serving underrepresented communities to amplify and elevate reliable third-party COVID-related resources on Pinterest.
Supporting the AdCouncil’s national campaign. To further promote educational content from authoritative sources whenever users search COVID-19 vaccine-related content, Pinterest will be providing paid media to the AdCouncil in support of its national COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign “It’s Up to You.” Through this partnership, the AdCouncil will encourage audiences on Pinterest to get the latest vaccine information—understanding that personal education is the first step in building vaccine confidence.
Showcasing authoritative content on Expert Search and Today Tab. Story Pins created by medical professionals from the AHSM and the AdCouncil Campaign content will be showcased on the Today Tab in the coming months. When people search on Pinterest for topics related to coronavirus, a banner that leads to the WHO COVID-19 resource page appears so Pinners can learn more. Expert Search results also feature relevant content created by doctors and medical organizations like the WHO and the CDC.
Pinterest is continuing to remove misinformation about COVID-19 because it violates our health misinformation policy. We recognize that this work is ongoing, and is just one of the ways we’re working to ensure Pinterest is an inspiring place for everyone to discover useful and trustworthy ideas for their lives.