Five years ago, Barbara O’Neill, a figure promoting herself as an “international speaker on natural healing,” faced a permanent ban from providing health services in New South Wales and other Australian states. This action was taken due to her dispensing highly risky health advice to vulnerable individuals. However, this ban didn’t silence her; instead, it inadvertently amplified her voice on a global stage, particularly online. Today, Barbara O’Neill’s story is not just about regulatory overreach, but a complex narrative involving international tours, a thriving online presence, and a vast, unauthorized scam economy capitalizing on her notoriety.
The Australian Ban: Risky Health Advice and Regulatory Action
In 2019, the New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) delivered a decisive verdict: Barbara O’Neill was prohibited from offering any health services. This ruling came after an investigation into her practices and the health advice she disseminated. The HCCC found that O’Neill had provided dangerous guidance, particularly highlighting her promotion of bicarbonate soda as a cancer treatment. This was deemed especially concerning as it targeted vulnerable individuals seeking alternative health solutions.
The HCCC’s investigation revealed a pattern of misinformation and potentially harmful recommendations. O’Neill’s claims extended beyond cancer treatments to encompass infant nutrition, the use of antibiotics for pregnant women, and vaccinations. The commission concluded that her advice lacked scientific basis and that she possessed “limited qualifications in the area of nutrition and dietetics.” Furthermore, the HCCC statement emphasized that O’Neill failed to recognize the danger of misleading vulnerable people with “very selective information.” This led to the permanent ban, enforceable across New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, and Victoria, effectively curtailing her ability to practice in a significant portion of Australia.
From Down Under to Global Platforms: O’Neill’s Reach Expands
Despite the Australian ban, Barbara O’Neill’s influence didn’t diminish. Instead, her views found fertile ground overseas and online. Supported by certain factions within the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church and amplified by segments of US media networks, her reach grew exponentially. Far from retreating, O’Neill embarked on an international speaking tour, appearing in the US, the UK, and Ireland. She also advertised expensive retreats in locations like Thailand, demonstrating a continued demand for her teachings despite the controversy.
Her online presence is equally robust. A Facebook page, managed in her name, actively promotes her activities, including plans for future tours in Australia – directly challenging the HCCC ruling. This defiance underscores the limitations of state-based health regulations in the face of a globally connected online world. O’Neill’s ability to circumvent the ban highlights the challenges regulators face in controlling health misinformation that transcends geographical boundaries.
The Unofficial Empire: Scams and Misinformation Flourish
Beyond Barbara O’Neill’s authorized activities, a sprawling and unauthorized online ecosystem has emerged, exploiting her name and teachings for financial gain. This “scam economy” thrives on disseminating clips of her health lectures, some dating back to 2012. These clips are repurposed and shared across numerous unaffiliated Facebook pages and groups – at one point exceeding 180 – all branded with her name. While these pages distribute her content, they operate outside of her control, creating a fragmented and often misleading representation of her views. Many of these pages are reportedly managed by accounts based in locations like Morocco, and attempts to contact administrators have been unsuccessful, suggesting a deliberate anonymity and potential for illicit activities.
This unauthorized dissemination extends to platforms like TikTok, where old clips of O’Neill are used to promote and sell various products, including herbal teas, Celtic salt, and castor oil. More alarmingly, the rise of AI-generated content has further complicated the landscape. AI is used to create fabricated videos of O’Neill making entirely new, and often outlandish, health claims. These deepfake videos often depict her making false claims, such as disappearing after revealing a “miracle mineral” for longevity or being “arrested” for promoting natural remedies like black seed oil. These deceptive videos are frequently linked to online stores, including major platforms like Amazon, where the featured products are readily available for purchase, preying on unsuspecting viewers seeking quick health solutions.
This image is a screenshot from a manipulated video featuring Tucker Carlson alongside Barbara O’Neill, falsely promoting eye drops, illustrating the deceptive tactics used in online health scams.
Jason Koebler, from 404 Media, describes this phenomenon as the “AI slop” economy. He argues that individuals globally are engaged in “penetration testing” social media platforms, exploiting trending topics like O’Neill’s health claims to generate revenue. Generative AI tools facilitate the creation of attention-grabbing, often bizarre content that bypasses moderation policies, flooding the internet with misinformation. The appeal of “wellness secrets” makes health-related content particularly potent in this scam ecosystem.
Genuine Content and Seventh-day Adventist Connections
While scams proliferate, genuine Barbara O’Neill content also continues to circulate, finding a receptive audience, particularly within certain networks. O’Neill and her husband, Michael O’Neill, who founded the Informed Medical Options party (now the Heart party), were previously associated with the Misty Mountain health retreat in New South Wales. Even before the ban, O’Neill was actively giving health lectures across Australia, often in regional areas and outer suburbs.
Her connection to the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church has played a significant role in sustaining her reach. O’Neill has been invited to speak at events organized by SDA institutions and colleges, although not all are officially endorsed by the church leadership. For instance, she was featured at a multi-day event organized by the Mountaintop SDA church in Maryland in 2023, lecturing on topics like “Cancer: Causes and Treatments” and “Safeguarding Against Depression.” She has also been prominently featured on Amazing Discoveries, an SDA-affiliated media channel that broadcasts content on health, creationism, and current events.
Wendy Goubej, executive director at Amazing Discoveries, acknowledges the channel’s role in amplifying O’Neill’s profile but suggests that TikTok videos have been the primary driver of her recent surge in popularity. She also expresses concern about the misuse of O’Neill’s information for personal gain through scams and misquotations. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, while not directly endorsing O’Neill’s views, acknowledges the importance of health but directs individuals to seek guidance from qualified healthcare professionals. This nuanced relationship highlights the complex interplay between religious networks, individual beliefs, and the spread of health information.
Regulatory Limits and the Fight Against Misinformation
The Barbara O’Neill phenomenon underscores the significant challenges in regulating health misinformation in the digital age. Despite the Australian ban and efforts by social media platforms to remove scam content, the problem persists and evolves. Even as fake posts are taken down, new accounts and deceptive claims quickly reappear, demonstrating the whack-a-mole nature of online content moderation.
Social media platforms like Meta (Facebook) and TikTok claim to be actively combating scams and impersonation. Meta states it uses technology and trained reviewers to identify and remove policy-violating content. TikTok reported removing over 73,000 videos for fraud and scam violations in Australia between January and March 2024, with a high proactive removal rate. However, the sheer volume of online content and the ease of creating new accounts make complete eradication virtually impossible.
Tara Kirk Sell, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, points out the limitations of regulatory powers in this space. She cautions against simplistic solutions like merely removing content, emphasizing the complexity of the issue. The global reach of the internet, combined with the motivations of individuals seeking financial gain, creates a fertile ground for health misinformation to spread rapidly and adapt to moderation efforts.
In conclusion, “what happened to Barbara O’Neill” is a cautionary tale about the spread of health misinformation in the digital age. While regulatory bodies can take action within their jurisdictions, the global and decentralized nature of the internet allows figures like O’Neill to maintain and even expand their reach beyond national borders. Furthermore, the emergence of sophisticated scam economies exploiting her name and teachings adds another layer of complexity. Ultimately, combating health misinformation requires a multi-faceted approach involving platform accountability, media literacy, and critical thinking on the part of individuals to discern credible health information from online noise.
