{"id":2031385,"date":"2023-09-14T04:13:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T08:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/threads-blocks-search-results-for-covid-and-vaccines-upsetting-users\/"},"modified":"2023-09-14T04:15:03","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T08:15:03","slug":"threads-blocks-search-results-for-covid-and-vaccines-upsetting-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/threads-blocks-search-results-for-covid-and-vaccines-upsetting-users\/","title":{"rendered":"Threads block COVID and vaccine search results, upsetting users."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthreads-blocks-search-results-for-covid-and-vaccines-upsetting-users%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2031385&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Threads, Meta&#8217;s recent\u200d competitor to \u2062Twitter, is \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bipartisan-calls-for-gov-cuomos-resignation-grow\/\" title=\"Bipartisan calls for Gov. Cuomo\u2019s resignation grow\">facing harsh criticism<\/a> for blocking search results for terms related to the pandemic, including vaccines.<\/p>\n<p>The new text platform, which is \u200dlinked to Instagram, rolled out its new search function last week, a \u200cmajor step towards giving it more parity with X, formerly known as Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>After\u200b Thread&#8217;s July release, Meta has\u200b been rolling out several much needed updates in recent weeks, including a requested desktop version and user search functionality.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/tech\/mark-zuckerberg-says-web-version-of-threads-will-be-available-in-next-few-days-5478354\">Mark Zuckerberg Says Web Version of Threads Will Be Available in Next Few Days<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/22\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/tech\/mark-zuckerberg-says-web-version-of-threads-will-be-available-in-next-few-days-5478354\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/house-republicans-seek-transparency-on-metas-content-moderation-policy-on-threads-5404050\">House Republicans Seek Transparency\u2064 on Meta&#8217;s Content Moderation Policy on Threads<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">7\/18\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/house-republicans-seek-transparency-on-metas-content-moderation-policy-on-threads-5404050\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    However, within 24 hours \u200cof the recent update, \u2062the social media giant was hit with controversy, as the new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/threads-blocks-search-results-for-covid-and-vaccines-upsetting-users\/\" title=\"Threads block COVID and vaccine search results, upsetting users.\">search function\u2063 proved useless<\/a> for those wanting\u200d to look for posts related \u2062to the COVID-19, reported The Washington Post.\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Threads Users \u2064Shocked to Find Search Results Blocked<\/h2>\n<p>    Many users were upset when \u2062their search on Threads for content related to \u201cCOVID\u201d and \u201cvaccines\u201d \u200cwas met with \u2062a blank screen and a pop-up redirecting \u2063them to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<br \/>\n  \u2064\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u200c &#8220;Zuck treats users like children. He gets\u200c to decide what they will see and talk about. This is\u2064 reason alone enough to reject Threads\u200d and embrace X,&#8221; said Michael Robertson, a tech CEO,\u2062 in a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mp3michael\/status\/1701598066074411169\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">post<\/a> on X.\n  <\/div>\n<p>Meta confirmed its search policy restrictions in a press \u200cstatement, \u200bsaying that the text\u2064 platform is blocking users from searching for words that could \u200bbring up \u201csensitive\u201d posts, for now.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/metas-threads-platform-blocks-potentially-sensitive-keywords-from-searches\/\" title=\"Meta's Threads platform now filters out \"potentially sensitive\" keywords from search results.\">search functionality temporarily doesn\u2019<\/a>t provide results for keywords that may show potentially sensitive content,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u201cPeople will be able to search for keywords such as \u2018COVID\u2019 in future updates\u2062 once we are confident in the quality \u200bof the results.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<p dir=\"null\">Meta acknowledged\u2062 that Threads was intentionally blocking other terms but declined to provide a list of them.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"null\">A\u200d search by The Washington Post discovered \u200dthat the \u2063words \u201csex,\u201d \u201cnude,\u201d \u201cgore,\u201d \u201cporn,\u201d \u201ccoronavirus,\u201d \u201cvaccines,\u201d\u2064 and \u201cvaccination\u201d were also among blocked terms.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Health Experts Decry Censorship<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"null\">Public health experts and\u200b workers\u2062 also were critical \u200cof the company\u2019s decision, telling The\u200b Post that its timing was poor, especially amid reports of a recent virus uptick.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"null\">&#8220;Censorship doesn&#8217;t work. Misinfo still gets\u2064 circulated \u200bby code names &#038; other platforms. Tech companies should\u200c invest in real solutions like moderation\/education,&#8221; Lucky Tran, \u200cdirector \u2063of science communication at\u2063 Columbia University, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/luckytran\/status\/1701319848255426679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> in a post on X.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"null\">Mr. Tran previously told The Post that the decision to censor searches about \u2064COVID will make it harder for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-to-show-lockdowns-are-killing-more-people-than-the-virus\/\" title=\"How To Show Lockdowns Are Killing More People Than The Virus\">public health experts<\/a> and people who work in public health to \u2062get\u200d out important info to the public about how they can\u200b protect themselves.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"null\">Hospitalizations in the United States rose nearly 16 percent last week, and have been rising steadily since July, but less than for the same week a year ago, according to the\u2063 CDC.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"null\">CDC statistics <a href=\"https:\/\/covid.cdc.gov\/covid-data-tracker\/%23trends_weeklydeaths_select_00\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">show<\/a> \u2063that deaths from the virus are less than a quarter of what they were\u2063 during the same period in \u20632022.<\/p>\n<p>    \u200cThe agency said\u200d cases of the virus \u2064are likely\u200b to continue into the winter.\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<p>Former National Institute of \u2064Allergy \u2062and Infectious Disease Director Dr. Anthony Fauci\u2062 told ABC\u2019s \u201cThis Week\u201d over the\u2064 weekend that given the current level of immunity in the population, \u201cthe chances of this being an overwhelming rush of cases\u2062 and hospitalizations is probably low.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    Meanwhile, the FDA approved another round of COVID \u2064boosters \u200bon Sept. 11 that are expected be available in the coming days.<\/p>\n<h2>New Meta Platform Sees Decrease \u2062in \u2063Users Since Launch<\/h2>\n<p>    Meta&#8217;s decision to block certain search \u2063terms illustrates \u2064its desire to \u200bavoid encouraging any topics \u2064that could be deemed \u201chard news\u201d on its platform.\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u2064 \u200b  \u201cPolitics and hard news are inevitably going to show up on Threads\u2014they have on Instagram as well to some extent\u2014but we\u2019re not going \u2063to do anything to encourage\u200b those\u200b verticals,\u201d Adam Mosseri, Instagram&#8217;s chief who was instrumental in the launch of Threads, wrote this summer.<br \/>\n\u2064\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    However, Twitter&#8217;s ability to share real-time news and information was crucial to its rise to prominence and remains one of its core features.<br \/>\n  \u2063<\/p>\n<div>\n<p dir=\"null\">A 2021 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2021\/08\/24\/about-four-in-ten-americans-say-social-media-is-an-important-way-of-following-covid-19-vaccine-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">survey<\/a> by the Pew\u200b Research Center showed that about 4 in 10 Americans said that social media was an important \u200dsource for news \u200cabout \u2064the COVID-19 vaccine and virus.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  Ever since\u200c Thread&#8217;s launched\u2064 over \u2064the \u2064summer in an effort t\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;s new text platform, Threads, has been under fire for its decision to block search results related to the pandemic, including vaccines. This move has sparked intense criticism. Threads, connected to Instagram, introduced its search function last week, aiming to enhance its similarity to X, previously known as Twitter. Meta&#8217;s release of Threads in July has stirred controversy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":327,"featured_media":2031386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2031385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/327"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2031385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2031385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2031386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2031385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2031385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2031385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}