Facebook will no longer remove claims posted on its platforms that Covid-19 is either man-made or lab manufactured, as US President Joe Biden has called upon intelligence agencies to probe the so-called "lab-leak hypothesis". The social network had earlier banned such claims as part of its Covid-19 misinformation policy. A Facebook spokesperson said on Wednesday that the origin language had been removed from that policy, due to the renewed debate about the virus' origin.

"In light of ongoing investigations into the origin of Covid-19 and in consultation with public health experts, we will no longer remove the claim that Covid-19 is man-made from our apps," the spokesperson told Politico. "We're continuing to work with health experts to keep pace with the evolving nature of the pandemic and regularly update our policies as new facts and trends emerge," the spokesperson added.