Fact Check: Is The White House Working With SMS Carriers to Curb Vaccine Misinformation?

The White House and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) dispelled rumors that they are working with cell phone carriers to monitor and fact-check private text messages, after a Politico article Monday said the Biden administration and the DNC were "planning to engage fact-checkers more aggressively and work with SMS carriers to dispel misinformation about vaccines that is sent over social media and text messages." White House and DNC officials reportedly told the Washington Examiner Wednesday that the speculation is false. One of the authors of the Politico article, Natasha Korecki, tweeted clarification, saying, "it’s allied, private groups that are working with SMS carriers – not the White House", and that the groups do not have the ability to read individual texts "aside from the ones they receive themselves." The rumor comes as the White House turns to a more focused approach to vaccinate all Americans against COVID-19 amid the spread of the Delta variant.

Some outlets on the left, including Politico, highlighted conservative groups who criticized the Biden administration's door-to-door vaccine efforts, and framed those groups as "fearmongers" spreading disinformation. Some right-rated outlets highlighted other ways political officials from both parties monitor mass text messages from the other side.