Verification within Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program
In a video dated May 30, 2022, Ostap Stakhiv claimed that:
- Chile adopted a law on protecting the labor rights of “mutants” and genetically modified people;
- mRNA vaccines alter human DNA and are part of gene therapy;
- Vaccinations against COVID-19 alter the human genome, which is prohibited by international laws, declarations, and conventions, notably the Cartagena Protocol.
However, all these allegations are false.
Screenshot of the video
Ostap Stakhiv is an activist and blogger and, as he calls himself, a “free journalist” and the founder of the “Human Rights” movement. He has actively spread conspiracy theories about the “harm” from 5G, masks, and quarantine, calling the pandemic planned and the coronavirus vaccine dangerous. We have repeatedly debunked his false allegations. We mentioned him and other covid-dissidents in an article dedicated to the first anniversary of the infodemic.
Analyzing the law, Stakhiv cites a piece on The Daily Expose. VoxCheck has repeatedly disproved the manipulative and false ideas spread by this website. In addition, according to the Media Bias/Fact Check aggregating independent fact-checkers’ evaluations of the IFCN network, The Daily Expose is a conspiracy and pseudoscientific publication.
On February 16, 2022, the National Congress of Chile passed the law, “Prohibition of employment discrimination regarding mutations or changes in genetic material or genetic testing.” But it does not mention “mutants” and “genetically modified people.”
This law prohibits employers hiring employees from inquiring about mutations or changes in the candidates’ genome causing a predisposition to genetic disease. The law also prohibits requiring certificates or tests to confirm that employees do not have changes in genetic material or mutations in their genome.
With personal consent, workers can undergo genetic testing at the employer’s expense. Such testing aims to confirm that a person meets the physical and mental health requirements necessary to perform hazardous work or tasks. Testing is carried out to protect the employee’s life, physical and mental integrity, and other employees’ lives and physical and psychological health.
The law is designed to eliminate discrimination against workers based on genetic changes and mutations in DNA, that is, various genetic diseases. Genetic diseases can be:
- Chromosomal: the absence or change of structures that contain genes in each cell (Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, etc.);
- multifactorial: a combination of gene mutations and factors such as chemical exposure, diet, certain medications, and the use of tobacco or alcohol (arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.);
- monogenic: mutation of one gene (cystic fibrosis, congenital deafness, Tay-Sachs disease, etc.).
The most common causes of genetic diseases include:
- chemical influence;
- radiation exposure;
- smoking;
- UV exposure from the sun.
In the video, Ostap Stakhiv mentions other false allegations previously debunked by VoxCheck. However, we know that:
- mRNA vaccines do not alter human DNA;
- vaccinations against COVID-19 do not violate international law, agreements, and human rights;
- the Cartagena Protocol does not mention protecting the human genome.
Attention
The authors do not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have no relevant affiliations
