Facebook now approving Wuhan Institute of Virology lab theory posts

Critics say an overnight change in Facebook’s coronavirus policy proves the tech giant is too big.

The Wuhan lab theory is now Facebook official.

After months of censoring users who shared stories suggesting that COVID-19 might have been man-made or manufactured, the social media giant has backed down.

While initially dismissed as a conspiracy theory by many scientists and governments, the idea that the coronavirus might have accidentally escaped from a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology where scientists were studying how to make viruses more infectious and dangerous has lately gained credibility.

Last February, the site officially banned any claims that “COVID-19 is man-made or manufactured,” but the company changed its guidance overnight Wednesday.

In the US, a spokesman for the company issued a statement saying, “We’re continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge.”

The Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, which is currently under scrutiny. Picture: Hector Retamal/AFP

Those facts have included a number of new reports, including that in November 2019 three scientists from the Institute were hospitalised with symptoms very similar to those experienced by COVID-19 patients, as well as an order to the intelligence community by US President Joe Biden to “redouble” efforts to learn about the virus’s true origins.

But not everyone is thrilled with the move, with critics saying that Facebook’s policy change shows they are too powerful.

“The fact that Facebook is no longer blocking posts which suggest that COVID-19 might have been manufactured in a Wuhan lab tells you everything you need to know about the dangers of so much power vesting in the hands of Big Tech companies,” said South Australian Liberal Senator Alex Antic.

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Picture: Ron Sachs/CNP

“President Trump and many respected scientists and commentators have been saying this for over 12 months and it is worrisome that a service which has become the new public square is so prepared to fetter freedom of speech,” he said.

Facebook has long been accused of using everything from algorithms to outright censorship to shape the way its 2.6 billion users perceive the news.

Last October, just weeks before the US presidential election, Facebook and Twitter restricted viewership of a New York Post article detailing allegations of corruption and drug use surrounding Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.

Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg also reportedly donated $450 million to progressive groups to target voters, design ballots and fight for mail-in ballots to be accepted during the last US election cycle.