YouTube Is Blocking All Anti-Vaccine Content
YouTube is blocking all anti-vaccine content including that of Joseph Mercola and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who are partially to blame for the skepticism that has contributed to a drop in vaccination rates across the United States.
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Last year, YouTube had removed over 130,000 videos for violating its COVID-19 vaccine policies
YouTube will block any anti-vaccine content, going beyond false content that claims vaccinations cause chronic health problems or contain misinformation about Covid-19 vaccine ingredients, according to a blog post published on Wednesday.
Certain forms of medical misinformation are already prohibited under the platform's Community Guidelines. It has long deleted information that promotes dangerous cures, such as claims that drinking turpentine may cure diseases.
The YouTube Channel added to these rules at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and collaborated with specialists to establish 10 additional policies regarding COVID-19 and medical misinformation. It has deleted approximately 130,000 videos since last year for breaching its COVID-19 standards.
A YouTube spokesman told Reuters, that the online video business controlled by Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) is also blocking channels connected with many notable anti-vaccine activists, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joseph Mercola.
Why Didn't YouTube Act Earlier?
Matt Halprin, YouTube's vice president of global trust and safety, told the Washington Post that YouTube did not act sooner because it was concentrating on misinformation concerning the Covid-19 vaccinations. When it realized that false statements concerning other vaccinations were fueling worries about coronavirus vaccines, it broadened the prohibition
Halprin explained that YouTube's new policy would still allow individuals to make statements based on their personal experience, such as a mother discussing negative effects her kid encountered after receiving a vaccination.
The scientific debate of vaccinations, as well as publishing about vaccine failures or triumphs in the past, will be permitted, Halprin added.
According to Garth Graham, YouTube's global head of health care and public health partnerships, the company is also increasing its efforts to bring more videos from official sources, such as the National Academy of Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic, to the site.
The objective is to persuade people to watch videos containing scientific facts before they fall down the rabbit hole of anti-vaccine material.
