Do you agree or disagree with California’s measure regulating Covid mis/disinformation among medical professionals?

👍 Yes (41%) – "The concept of freedom is meant to mean that we have the choice to do whatever we want unless it harms other people. When doctors spread misinformation, freedom of speech should not apply here because they are harming their patients by telling them wrong information. They have a duty to their patients to tell the truth, since their word is meant to be credible. Therefore, I agree with the bill."

• "This isn't a violation of free speech, because misinformation and disinformation cause harm, either intentionally or unintentionally. Your right to "free speech" does not include putting the public's health in danger. If a doctor was suggesting... oh, I don't know, say drinking bleach... "freedom of speech" wouldn't protect them."

👎 No (49%) – "Who get's to decide what 'misinformation' is? And when? As a historian, I see medical science changing drastically over time and to prosecute on a moment if time's limited understanding is both short-sighted and dangerous."

• "While we all want our doctors to be informed and “do no harm” there is a lot of disagreement in the medical community about how or why something should or shouldn’t be done. It’s up to us to build a relationship with a doctor we trust and then trust in the system that trained them and certified them that they are qualified to have their own opinions about our health and courses of treatment etc. If the government starts monitoring what is said behind closed doors not only is that a slippery slope, it’s basically saying they no longer trust the doctors they have educated and certified into business. There just seems to be too much gray area here for litigation to enter the picture effectively."

🤷‍♀️ Unsure/other (11%) – "I think I need more information - this is a seriously complex issue. "Disinformation' implies malintent; this would be a violation of the Hippocratic oath. But did these professionals know the information was inaccurate and harmful? I just don't think I'm well enough informed about the particulars or about the law to judge."