Social Media Giant Listens to Activists, Removes Harmful HIV Drug Ads

After listening to the demands of activists, health experts and United States lawmakers, Facebook has removed some of its HIV prevention drug ads, concluding they contained misleading information.

The drugs, known as PrEP, are intended to prevent HIV, yet the now-removed ads – placed by personal injury attorneys – misleadingly link them to severe bone and kidney damage.

“Removing select ads is a strong first step, but the time is now for Facebook to take action on other very similar ads which target at-risk community members with misleading and inaccurate claims about PrEP and HIV prevention,” says Sarah Kate Ellis, head of the gay and transgender media advocacy group GLAAD.

The social media giant has made its decision to remove select ads thanks to more than fifty LGBTQ+, HIV/AIDS and public health organizations wrote a public letter to the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, urging the company to act.