According to an investigation, Meta, YouTube, and Google are making money off of posts that recommend hazardous and pointless health goods to women in Kenya.
Big internet companies are allegedly promoting content on social networks that makes dubious claims about curing infertility and herbs that can prevent cancer, according to researchers from the media group Fumbua.
Facebook pages offering yoni pearls, which are herb balls wrapped in mesh, to be put vaginally in order to “cleanse” the uterus and shield women from cervical cancer have been discovered. Sitting over a bowl of hot water, or “steaming,” was recommended as a treatment for endometriosis.
According to the paper, “Facebook’s own algorithms are frequently amplifying this information, and allow ads for detox remedies targeting Kenyan users.” It also notes that none of the purported health advantages have been shown by science.
Despite the obvious health hazards, Google and YouTube are also complicit in this destructive system by making money from advertisements for vaginal cleansing solutions.
The research’s principal investigator, Wanjiru Nguhi, stated: “The availability of these advertisements is disturbingly widespread. Not only can individuals sell harmful products, but they can also do so in public and even contribute to these advertisements to become viral. That exudes an outrageous impunity.
Co-founder of ShePersisted, a project that combats gendered misinformation and provided support for the inquiry, Kristina Wilfore continued: “Big tech is sleepwalking while scam goods are being transported into the Kenyan marketplace.”
Fumbua’s study is being conducted at a time when social media sites in Kenya are being examined more closely. Three lawsuits have been filed against Meta, claiming that its content moderation procedures are deficient. The nation’s social media monitoring organizations are now paying more attention to the cases. Nearly half of respondents to a study by Kenya’s council for responsible social media indicated they had encountered false material on social media, and half said they could spot it with confidence.
A 2023 assessment on internet use estimates that 9.25 million Kenyans use Facebook, 9.44 million use YouTube, and 2.2 million use Instagram.
Products marketed as “vaginal detox” have gained popularity thanks to celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow & vera Sidika.
Medical professionals have advised against using products for vaginal steaming and herb balls, which can be purchased online for roughly 1,000 Kenyan shillings (about £5). They claim these items are unneeded and can lead to pain and infections.
Reproductive health expert Jacqueline Chesang stated, “You’re trying to clean your vagina, but in the process you’re actually increasing your vulnerability.” According to her, vaginas are self-cleaning and include beneficial microorganisms that prevent infections. Rituals like cleaning and steaming upset the pH balance of the vagina and make it more prone to infection.It worried Chesang that women would quit seeking medical attention for diseases they are afflicted with by using online therapies.
Meta claimed that there was no policy violation with the vaginal cleansing content. As per the corporate statement, “We eliminate content that advocates for dangerous miracle treatments for health problems when the treatments are widely considered likely to directly lead to the risk of serious harm or death.”
On its website, Meta states that it rates and reviews information on its platforms in collaboration with independent factcheckers in Africa. On Instagram, content that is flagged as inaccurate or deceptive is pushed down the feed and removed from the “explore” section. Moreover, it states that its factcheckers reject advertisements on content that is deemed misleading.