YouTube is clamping down on videos shared on the platform that attempt to spread false information about COVID-19 vaccines. The service said it is banning clips that run counter to vaccine information from health authorities such as the World Health Organization and local health agencies.
The ban applies to videos claiming that a COVID-19 vaccine will kill someone or make people infertile. YouTube will also remove videos saying that those who get vaccinated will have microchips implanted in them. That said, the video-sharing site won"t block content on general discussions about those vaccines.
In April, YouTube introduced measures to crack down on content linking COVID-19 to 5G. It"s part of the service"s broader effort to rid its platform of coronavirus-related misinformation. Interestingly, the move comes hard on the heels of Facebook"s announcement for a new policy that will ban ads that discourage vaccination.
YouTube plans to introduce additional steps in the next few weeks that will give more prominence to authoritative vaccine information on its platform. Since February of this year, it has stamped out more than 200,000 videos containing false information about the pandemic. With the increasing proliferation of misinformation both on social media and video sharing sites, it"s interesting to see how YouTube"s latest step will help in the fight against this type of activity.
Source: Reuters