Big tech finally takes a stand on vaccinations.Facebook announced Wednesday that it will require all employees to get Covid-19 vaccines before they can return to work at U.S. Facebook offices. This is a change from the December 2020 policies that encouraged, but did not require, Covid-19 vaccinations for in-office use.In an email statement to Mashable, Lori Goler (Facebook's vice president for people) stated that as our offices reopen we will require anyone who comes to work on any of our US campuses to have their vaccinations. "How we implement this policy depends on the local conditions and regulations. We will provide a procedure for people who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons or any other reason. We will also be reviewing our approach in other areas as the situation changes. We are continuing to work with experts in order to ensure that our return to office plans prioritise everyone's safety and health.Google announced Wednesday that all employees who come to work at Google campuses will need vaccinations. Twitter was the first tech company to require vaccinations for its employees who worked on-site.The situation has changed since the Delta variant of the virus causes Covid spikes all across the country. The new infections are mainly occurring among the unvaccinated. However, the CDC reversed its previous guidance on masking and advised that vaccinated individuals should wear masks indoors if they are exposed to infections.Government agencies are making changes to their vaccine policies. New York City and Los Angeles city employees now have to be vaccinated. California state and federal employees also have to be vaccinated. Federal health workers must be vaccinated within 2 months. The Biden administration plans to announce a weekly requirement or vaccine requirement for federal employees.Common-sense vaccine requirements might be more controversial than necessary. Conservatives may confuse getting vaccinated with an issue of personal liberty, not public health. Republican legislators have passed laws that prohibit businesses from asking customers to prove their vaccination. Despite being accused of anti-conservative bias and facing anti-trust inquiries from both sides, large tech companies are trying to be politically neutral.Facebook and Google have taken positive steps to safeguard employees and encourage mass vaccination. Despite bans by Google and Facebook, conspiracy theories about vaccine hesitancy, and Covid conspiracies have thrived on YouTube-owned YouTube.Both companies have taken steps to help employees and promote science. But that is a small amount compared to the harm their platforms have done in enabling anti-vaccination misinformation.
