YouTube cracks down on all anti-vaccine content

In a major crack down, YouTube will remove all videos that are spreading misinformation about any approved COVID-19 vaccine— banning key accounts.

On Wednesday, the social media giant has said that Covid-19 misinformation is spreading to vaccines in general. Following which, the company will block all anti-vaccine content, moving beyond its ban on false information.

Reportedly, the expanded policy will be applied to currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective by local health authorities and World Health Organization (WHO).

The upcoming policy will also monitor false claims about routine immunisations for diseases including measles, Hepatitis B and influenza.

The company is also banning channels associated with several prominent anti-vaccine activists including Robert F Kennedy Jr and Joseph Mercola, a YouTube spokesperson said.

Moreover, YouTube had already removed more than 130,000 videos since 2020 for violating its COVID-19 vaccine policies.

Earlier on Tuesday, the platform had also blocked German-language channels of Russia’s state broadcaster RT for violating its COVID-19 misinformation guidelines.

YouTube said it had issued a warning to RT before shutting the two channels down, but the move prompted a threat from Moscow to block the video site.

On the other hand, Facebook launched a renewed effort to tackle conspiracy groups regarding COVID misinformation—taking down a German network.

YouTube said content that “falsely says that approved vaccines cause autism, cancer or infertility, or that substances in vaccines can track those who receive them” will be taken down.

“As with any significant update, it will take time for our systems to fully ramp up enforcement,” YouTube added.