YouTube will remove content with misinformation about Covid-19 vaccine

YouTube will ban content that contains misinformation about Covid-19 vaccine from its platform, the company announced on Wednesday.

The platform will remove videos that spread vaccine misinformation.

“A Covid-19 vaccine may be imminent, therefore we’re ensuring we have the right policies in place to be able to remove misinformation related to a Covid-19 vaccine from the platform,” a YouTube spokesperson said as quoted by the Guardian.

“Any content that includes claims about Covid-19 vaccinations that contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organisation (WHO) will be removed from YouTube.”

Examples of content that can be removed include misinformation such as a Covid-19 vaccine implants microchips in people’s bodies or that they cause infertility, the Verge reported. Both these claims have proven to be false.

Also read: Facebook to ban ads discouraging vaccination on its platform

The announcement is an extension to YouTube’s existing policy on Covid-19 misinformation banning spreading misinformation related to the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and transmission of Covid-19. For instance, videos containing claims denying the existence of Covid-19 and that people have not died from Covid-19 or claims that there’s a guaranteed vaccine for Covid-19 will be removed from YouTube.

YouTube’s announcement comes on the heels of Facebook making a similar announcement for its ads policy. Facebook, earlier this week, announced that it will be banning ads that discourage vaccination from its platform.

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