Australian blogger lies about cancer-defeating remedies: for shame
The oft-peddled ‘alternative’ paths to wellness need to be called out, and called bullshit, before they do real harm, writes Tammy Foyn
International media reported on Thursday that Belle Gibson, an Australian blogger who lied about having cancer, and lied about being cured by the natural and alternative remedies she was advocating, was fined A$410,000. This is a hefty fine, but doesn’t go nearly far enough. Gibson, who sold a cookbook and an app based on her false claims, also lied about giving the money she received to charity. How is this not fraud? How can people make these kinds of claims — unproven and dangerous — and not be held criminally liable? Freedom of speech comes with the responsibility not to spread harmful misinformation. An example needs to be made of people like Gibson, who do this deliberately, maliciously, and for personal gain, despite many people doing it with the best intentions. We’ve seen how fake news has played out in politics; it’s causing havoc in the health sector, too. Social media, the great leveler, puts dangerous information into the hands of people who lack the skill to assess its...
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