How Facebook's 'independent fact checkers' cited letter secretly organized by Wuhan lab funder Peter Daszak to 'debunk' leak theory and punish news outlets that explored it
Facebook's 'independent fact checkers' relied on a letter spearheaded by a major financial backer of the Wuhan Institute of Virology to 'debunk' articles exploring the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in a leak from the lab, it has emerged.
For nearly a year, Facebook censored articles exploring the lab leak theory, labeling them 'false information' and punishing news publishers by limiting their reach on the platform, before the social media giant sheepishly reversed course last month.
Facebook relies on third-party fact-checkers to 'debunk' false claims, and in the case of the lab leak theory, a February article from Facebook partner Science Feedback played a key role in the social media site's censorship.
The article, which purported to 'debunk' a New York Post opinion column questioning China's denials of a lab leak scenario, prominently cited a letter to The Lancet, a leading medical journal, signed by '27 eminent public health experts'.
It has now emerged that the Lancet letter, which played a key role in suppressing early debate on the pandemic's origins, was not only signed but organized by Peter Daszak, whose group funneled U.S. taxpayer dollars to controversial gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).
The article used by Facebook to 'debunk' lab leak theory cited Peter Daszak's Lancet letter. He is seen above at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2020
Relying on the Science Feedback article citing the Lancet letter, Facebook swiftly cracked down on articles exploring the lab leak theory, including this February 2020 opinion piece
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is seen above. His company faces criticism after reversing its nearly year-long ban on posts proposing that COVID originated from a lab
Though no definitive proof has emerged yet to show whether COVID-19 leaked from a lab or crossed over to humans directly from an animal, mounting evidence in support of the lab leak theory has emerged in recent weeks -- after academics dismissed it as impossible for more than a year.
It is now clear that many of the leading experts in emerging coronavirus threats, who rushed to dismiss the lab leak theory early in the pandemic, were potentially conflicted, fearing that confirmation of a leak would shut down virology labs around the world and cut off their precious flow of funding.
However, few played as key a role in suppressing debate as Daszak, the British-born founder of non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, which takes in millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars and parcels them out to facilities conducting gain-of-function research, including WIV.
Gain-of-function research is a controversial field that involves collecting dangerous viruses and genetically modifying them to be more deadly, in order to study the risks of future outbreaks.
Emails since released through public records requests show that Daszak secretly organized the February 19, 2020 Lancet letter, which established a veneer of 'scientific consensus' and quashed debate.
The Science Feedback article (excerpted above) prominently quoted the Lancet letter that Daszak secretly organized to quash theories that COVID-19 escaped from a lab
For news publishers, being labeled false information by Facebook can have serious consequences
Daszak urged colleagues involved in gain-of-function research not to sign the letter, in order to obscure the connection, telling one: 'We'll then put it out in a way that doesn't link it back to our collaboration so we maximize an independent voice.'
Relying on the Science Feedback article citing the Lancet letter, Facebook swiftly cracked down on articles exploring the lab leak theory, including a February 23, 2020 opinion piece for the New York Post by Steven Mosher.
The article was titled: 'Don’t buy China’s story: The coronavirus may have leaked from a lab.'
'The piece was widely read online — until Facebook stepped in,' the Post's editorial board wrote of the incident.
Facebook quickly reduced the spread of the article and slapped a 'false information' label on top of it, along with a link to the Science Feedback post 'debunking' the lab leak theory.
For news publishers, being labeled false information by Facebook can have serious consequences.
Facebook severely limits the spread of articles it deems debunked, pushing them far down in the News Feed, if they appear at all.
Anyone who tries to share a 'debunked' article on the social media site is met with blaring warnings that they are spreading 'false information'.
Though Facebook's system of 'strikes' against a publisher is opaque, a news organization that repeatedly publishes articles deemed false information can see the reach of all their articles reduced.
Publishers could also see warning labels blazed across their Facebook Pages if the company repeatedly labels their posts false information.
Facebook did not immediately respond to questions from DailyMail.com on Saturday morning about its fact-checking procedures and Daszak's role in its early determinations on how to assess theories on the pandemic origins.
Daszak declined to answer questions from DailyMail.com reporters who visited his home on Friday, instead warning them to 'leave the area and never come back' and calling police.
Daszak has also not yet responded to a list of 34 questions about his involvement with the Wuhan lab that the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent him in April, despite a May 17 deadline to respond.
Publishers can see warning labels blazed across their Facebook Pages if the company repeatedly labels their posts false information
Daszak declined to answer questions from DailyMail.com reporters who visited his home on Friday, instead warning them to 'leave the area and never come back' and calling police
In its April 16 letter, the congressional committee asked Daszak to provide details of what federal funds were passed on to the WIV, what information they have on bat viruses worked on at the lab that are closely related to Covid-19, and what his charity knows about a mysterious database of virus genomes held by the lab taken offline in 2019.
The letter asked a total 34 questions and gave a deadline of May 17, 2021 – but has still received no response, a source close to the committee told DailyMail.com.
'Total silence. They seem to be refusing to acknowledge anything from us,' the source said.
After more than a year of censoring debate over the lab-leak theory, Facebook reversed course in late May, as President Joe Biden revealed that elements of the intelligence community consider the lab leak origin a likely scenario.
'In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of COVID-19 and in consultation with public health experts, we will no longer remove the claim that COVID-19 is man-made or manufactured from our apps,' Facebook said in a statement.
'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.'
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