The companies reportedly have until May 2 to comply.
The surgeon general and the Biden administration havecalled out online misinformationas a major health problem before.
Conspiracy theories and misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and masks have proliferated onlinethroughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both have been proven safe and useful in protecting against that disease.
Research showed that misinformation received more attention than factual informationduring the 2020 US election.
Several recent high-profile cases have kept the issue in the spotlight.
The surgeon general’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The New York Times report doesn’t name specific companies that got the requests for information.
