Facebook news purge deletes page of key Aboriginal healthcare provider

FACEBOOK has deleted all content from the page for a Territory primary healthcare provider for Aboriginal residents, just as the NT is set to roll out a COVID-19 vaccination program.

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FACEBOOK has deleted all content from the page for the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, the primary healthcare provider for Aboriginal people living throughout Central Australia, just as the NT is set to roll out a COVID-19 vaccination program.

In its swingeing cuts to the content of news pages across Australia, Facebook appears to have cast too wide a net, catching the pages of many non-news essential services in the purge, including Congress and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory.

Congress communications manager Kate Buckland said the apparent mistake has serious implic­ations for the organisation’s COVID-19 response.

“What is particularly important at the moment is that we are trying to counter misinformation out there about COVID-19 vaccinations,” Ms Buckland said.

“Without us being in the mix on Facebook, the fear is that misinformation will be seen as truth and this will impact community willingness to be vaccinated; which is something we want people to do when they can.”

Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley also expressed alarm at Facebook’s apparent mistake.

“Denying people access to information cannot be good,” Ms Lambley said.

“It could be potentially dangerous.”

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Congress communications manager Kate Buckland said the apparent mistake has serious implications for the organisation’s COVID-19 response.

“What is particularly important at the moment is that we are trying to counter misinformation out there about COVID-19 vaccinations,” Ms Buckland said.

“Without us being in the mix on Facebook, the fear is that misinformation will be seen as truth and this will impact community willingness to be vaccinated; which is something we want people to do when they can.”

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Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley also expressed alarm at Facebook’s apparent mistake.

“Denying people access to information cannot be good,” Ms Lambley said.

“It could be potentially dangerous.”