Facebook membership of anti-mask groups shoots up nearly 2000% since August

The majority of the 78 groups discovered by The Independent have more than 1,000 members, many of which also promote baseless conspiracy theories relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

Separate analysis of data from the media tool Crowdtangle by The New York Times found that from the start of August through to 27 September, the total number of members to such groups rose from under 2,000 to over 43,000.

Many of the groups are specific to individual US states or towns, while others seek to spread misinformation on a broader scale.

All of them appear to either push the idea that face masks are not effective at stopping the spread of Covid-19, or that coronavirus itself is a hoax.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US urges anyone over two years of age to cover their face, while the World Health Organisation also offers similar guidance, alongside hand hygiene and physical distancing.

Absolutely no pro-mask posts will be approved and anyone commenting with pro-mask bulls**t will be removed from the group, it states.

The tech giant has previously claimed that it is actively cracking down on the spread of misinformation relating to coronavirus.

Admins of these groups often create back-up pages in case theirs were deleted by Facebook - a tactic that many of the anti-mask groups are now using.