YouTube bans anti-vaccine misinformation on its platform

[Shawn Knight]

A hot potato: YouTube has updated its medical misinformation policies to include new guidelines on vaccines. The Google-owned video sharing platform said it has seen a steady stream of false claims about Covid-19 vaccines pour over into misinformation about vaccines in general, adding that they’ve reached a point where they must expand the work they started with Covid-19 to other vaccines.

Per YouTube’s new policies, it will remove content that alleges that approved vaccines are dangerous or cause chronic health effects. YouTube will also take down videos claiming vaccines do not reduce transmission or contraction of disease as well as pieces featuring misinformation about the substances contained in vaccines.

Specific examples cited include content that claims approved vaccines cause cancer, autism or infertility, or material that claims the substances in vaccines can somehow track those who receive them.

Notably, YouTube said it will continue to allow content about vaccine policies, historical vaccine successes or failures and new vaccine trials. What’s more, personal testimonies relating to vaccines will also be allowed to stay up, “so long as the video doesn't violate other community guidelines, or the channel doesn't show a pattern of promoting vaccine hesitancy.”

YouTube said it consulted with local and international health organizations and experts to help develop its new policies. Since last year, the site has removed over 130,000 videos for violating its Covid-19 vaccine policies, we’re told.

According to CNBC, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed that it also removed channels associated with high-profile misinformation spreaders including Joseph Mercola, Sherri Tenpenny and the Children's Health Defense Fund, which is associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Facebook, Instagram and Reddit have also taken steps to crack down on misinformation relating to the pandemic and vaccines, with varying degrees of success.

The changes will go into effect today, although YouTube conceded that with any major update, it will take time for their systems to get up to speed as it relates to enforcement.

Image credit Artem Podrez, Polina Tankilevitch

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/91484-youtube-bans-anti-vaccine-misinformation-platform.html

 

[Superconductor]

L M A O

 

[yRaz]

I can't wait for vaccines to come as a suppository

 

[Orwellion]

Bye bye youtube.

 

[Revolution 11]

A year late, but better late than never, I guess.

 

[VitalyT]

If the vaccines simply came with a little coke added, nobody would need convincing.

 

[Kirby1]

On no, where will the readers of techspot go for information now?

Weird how this site has such a right wing base

YouTube should have done this sooner. Don't need to allow the dumbest people to have the loudest voices.

 

[Avro Arrow]

It's about FiretrUCKING time!!! Like seriously, what were they waiting for? A letter from Gawd? I don't have the words to explain how stupid YouTube was to let it go this long. Fortunately, I don't have to.

 

[Lionvibez]

 

[Scorpion5679]

On no, where will the readers of techspot go for information now?

Weird how this site has such a right wing base

YouTube should have done this sooner. Don't need to allow the dumbest people to have the loudest voices.

I think Techspot has a balanced base. It's just the right wingers NEED to voice their "woke" opinions. Where as the normal people don't often comment.

 

[Avro Arrow]

On no, where will the readers of techspot go for information now?

I have always preferred CBC for my news. It's not corporately-owned.

Weird how this site has such a right wing base

Well, the USA is much further to the right than the rest of NATO (except maybe Turkey). Americans tend to have a different mindset than Canadians and Europeans. The real shame is that a lot of Americans do know better and are progressive thinkers but kinda get buried in the useless background noise from their exclusively corporate media outlets.

YouTube should have done this sooner. Don't need to allow the dumbest people to have the loudest voices.

What can ya do? Immature children tend to shout more often!

 

[viperfl]

On no, where will the readers of techspot go for information now?

Weird how this site has such a right wing base

YouTube should have done this sooner. Don't need to allow the dumbest people to have the loudest voices.

Are the heads of YouTube all of a sudden medical experts? Have you ever got a second opinion on medical advice that a doctor has given you? So what your saying is no one should get a second opinion, that what the heads of YouTube say stands.

I feel sorry for you buddy

 

[Sausagemeat]

How does YouTube know what is misinformation and what isn’t? They aren’t doctors. And from what I can gather even doctors don’t agree on everything. Right now in the UK some bodies say children should have the vaccine and others say it does more harm than good. Also we have a death toll from the vaccine but we have no idea what it is, can we have this? Or would this be banned under “misinformation” as well as it is on other platforms.

I say let people hang their dirty opinions out to dry. Besides, action taken to silence others is more significant than what those others are generally saying. People talk rubbish about everything all the time. But efforts from major tech corporations to censor individuals certain pricks my ears up.

 

[Neatfeatguy]

Research is starting to lean towards the fact that the vaccines are a "leaky vaccines" and might cause the population to be come vaccine dependent.

It's also starting to show that vaccinated people can carry a larger load of the virus over someone that's developed natural immunity.

Anyway, if you're bored, you can do some own personal research on these things and see what comes of it. If it's true about these covid vaccines are a "leaky vaccine" and how everyone is trying to forcefully mandate it, it could be a very poor outcome for everyone.

A quick link of reference can be found here. Make of it as you will.

So, how can youtube or facebook or twitter and other places that willing silence information about something most doctors can't even agree upon know that the information they're removing is "mis-information"?

 

[Achaios]

QUOTE
How does YouTube know what is misinformation and what isn’t?
UNQUOTE

Because they consult experts such as @DrEricDing on Twitter.

I sure don't wanna hear YOUR opinion or your crackpot friend's opinion who happens to be an MD about how the vaccine is gonna kill me.

This post courtesy of J&J vaccine, been vaccinated since May along with all my family and relatives.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

I think Techspot has a balanced base. It's just the right wingers NEED to voice their "woke" opinions. Where as the normal people don't often comment.

I'd say I'm right wing but wouldn't say I get political too much However it's not like all my opinions line up exactly with one side or the other. But definitely some are more vocal in comments than others, and I appreciate hearing from both sides.

I especially appreciate TechSpot because the writers are unbiased, which is exactly what I'd expect from a tech news site considering tech news shouldn't be political or opinionated. They inform us of the facts, and the comment section is where opinions or additional research can go.

 

[Tantor]

Whoa! - The present generation has no clue. They take freedom for granted. You can lose those freedoms in the blink of an eye. The ONLY thing protecting you from despotism is your ability to speak openly.

Society already went down that road in the early 20th century. It's called COMMUNISM.

"When there's a person, there's a problem. When there's no person, there's no problem." Josef Stalin.
"Deaths have benefits. They can fertilise the ground." Mao Zedong

 

[Neatfeatguy]

QUOTE
How does YouTube know what is misinformation and what isn’t?
UNQUOTE

Because they consult experts such as @DrEricDing on Twitter.

I sure don't wanna hear YOUR opinion or your crackpot friend's opinion who happens to be an MD about how the vaccine is gonna kill me.

This post courtesy of J&J vaccine, been vaccinated since May along with all my family and relatives.

So, doctors that are always changing their minds and can't agree on things together are being consulsted with and then places like youtube or facebook, etc take their word over others when they can't agree one way or the other?

Sounds shady as helI.

Good to know so many people are okay with the removal of information and accept that the removal of information is "mis-information" proclaimed by doctors that are constantly changing their minds about the information that's out there.

 

[Gixser]

This right here is the problem. Some dude on the internet posts a bunch of crap raising "questions" with claims of research showing this and that. A link is offered in support. Most people won't critically evaluate the link but will choose to believe what is said.

The link provided is not research. Its one Dr's opinion of possible concerns (likely misquoted.)

Real research looks like this: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm?s_cid=mm7031e2_w

or

a digestible summary in a respected publiction: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/new-data-on-covid-19-transmission-by-vaccinated-individuals

Research is starting to lean towards the fact that the vaccines are a "leaky vaccines" and might cause the population to be come vaccine dependent.

It's also starting to show that vaccinated people can carry a larger load of the virus over someone that's developed natural immunity.

Anyway, if you're bored, you can do some own personal research on these things and see what comes of it. If it's true about these covid vaccines are a "leaky vaccine" and how everyone is trying to forcefully mandate it, it could be a very poor outcome for everyone.

A quick link of reference can be found here. Make of it as you will.

So, how can youtube or facebook or twitter and other places that willing silence information about something most doctors can't even agree upon know that the information they're removing is "mis-information"?

 

[psycros]

The desire to see those you disagree with silenced should be tempered by a historical understanding of where that always leads.

 

[Jack Deth]

Ah yes. Cracking down on misinformation, aka censorship.

 

[crocography]

Will they finally allow the content providers to say that overweight people are the problem and that proper diet and exercise can help tremendously with a health matter like this? Or will any mainstream media, or government office start talking about health issues as it relates to being overweight and start to suggest that people around the world have to start to properly maintain their health?

So far I haven't heard a peep, and the stats from CDC's own documentation are extremely clear on this. But alas I guess this would be classified fat shaming because people have a right to be "fat and fabulous".

 

[Cubi Dorf]

I am supporting free speeches. It doesn't matter what is the topic.

 

[MisterSpock]

Will they finally allow the content providers to say that overweight people are the problem and that proper diet and exercise can help tremendously with a health matter like this? Or will any mainstream media, or government office start talking about health issues as it relates to being overweight and start to suggest that people around the world have to start to properly maintain their health?

So far I haven't heard a peep, and the stats from CDC's own documentation are extremely clear on this. But alas I guess this would be classified fat shaming because people have a right to be "fat and fabulous".

A COVID vaccine takes twenty minutes, times two for a two-dose series.

If you can get equal results from exercise in the same period of time (ie 20-40 minutes total) without massive amounts of uppers and likely bodily harm, I'd love to know the technique.

Until then, vaccination is the primary and best option for protecting oneself and others from COVID. Weight loss can come after a vaccine.

Don't demonize the overweight when it's vaccinating first that matters most. It's effectively moving the goalposts yet again for those who prefer to attack others than to do the right thing and simply get the damned shots.

 

[hahahanoobs]

Are the heads of YouTube all of a sudden medical experts? Have you ever got a second opinion on medical advice that a doctor has given you? So what your saying is no one should get a second opinion, that what the heads of YouTube say stands.

I feel sorry for you buddy

Blocked.