Facebook to remove fake posts on Oregon wildfires in US

San Francisco, Sep 13 (IANS) Facebook on Sunday said it has started to pull down fake posts and misinformation claiming that wildfires in the Oregon state in the US were caused by arson from militia organisations like Antifa and far-left activists.

The announcement came after multiple organisations, including the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon, issued warnings on social media about the false rumours being spread about wildfires.

“We are removing false claims that the wildfires in Oregon were started by certain groups. This is based on confirmation from law enforcement that these rumours are forcing local fire and police agencies to divert resources from fighting the fires and protecting the public,” Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said in a tweet.

“This is consistent with our past efforts to remove content that could lead to imminent harm given the possible risk to human life as the fires rage on,” he added.

There is no evidence Oregon’s fires were caused by arson from far-left activists, reports NBC News.

Authorities arrested one person in connection with one of Oregon’s 38 active wildfires, which have caused at least eight deaths.

Oregon’s fires have charred more than 879,000 acres, according to state data.

–IANS

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