FB bans Aussie celebrity chef

SYDNEY: Facebook has banned Australian celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans for repeatedly spreading misinformation about the coronavirus.

With more than a million social media followers, Evans had been an influential promoter of conspiracy theories about the pandemic and vaccines. Facebook said on Thursday it would not "allow anyone to share misinformation about Covid-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm" or falsehoods about Covid-19 vaccines.

"We have clear policies against this type of content and we’ve removed Chef Pete Evans’ Facebook Page for repeated violations of these policies," the company said in a statement.

The former chef’s page on Instagram -- a Facebook-owned platform -- with 278,000 followers is still active, however, and includes posts that encourage Sydney residents to defy public health officials and refuse to get tested for the virus. Australia’s largest city is currently battling to contain a cluster of more 100 cases that ended months of low community transmission.