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SYDNEY: Facebook banned celebrity Australian chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans for repeatedly spreading misinformation about COVID-19.
With more than a million followers on social media, Evans had been an influential promoter of conspiracy theories about the pandemic and vaccines.
Facebook said on Thursday (December 24) that it would not “allow anyone to share misinformation about COVID-19 that may cause imminent physical harm” or falsehoods about COVID-19 vaccines.
“We have clear policies against this type of content and we have removed Chef Pete Evans’ Facebook page for repeated violations of these policies,” the company said in a statement.
READ: Facebook Bans Misleading Ads About COVID-19
However, the chef’s page on Instagram, a Facebook-owned platform with 278,000 followers, is still active and includes posts encouraging Sydney residents to challenge public health officials and refuse to be tested for the virus.
The city is currently struggling to contain a cluster of more than 100 cases that ended with months of low community transmission.
Evans said on Instagram Thursday that he was happy to be “one of the catalysts for a conversation” about free speech and described the science surrounding the pandemic as “BS.”
Facebook has previously banned some high-profile accounts that sold misinformation and hate speech, most notably those of conspirator Alex Jones and far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos.
READ: On Facebook, Health Misinformation ‘Super Broadcasters’ Amassed Billions Of Views: Report
Under fierce scrutiny and criticism that the platform is degrading public debate, Facebook also announced a ban on accounts linked to the QAnon conspiracy group.
Evans was previously known for promoting pseudoscientific diet ideas, often tied to his own commercial ventures, such as the Paleolithic diet, earning him the nickname “Paleo” Pete.
Several companies recently ditched Evans and his books were taken off the shelves after he posted a Nazi “black sun” symbol on social media.
Evans denies the trafficking of lies and denounces what he calls “propaganda based on fear.”
“The pandemic is a hoax. It’s that simple,” he told AFP earlier this year, without offering any credible evidence.
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