YouTube Announces New Framework to Crack Down on Medical Misinformation
Key Highlights :
YouTube on Tuesday announced a new framework to crack down on medical misinformation on the platform. In a blog post, the video-sharing site said it has learned critical lessons about developing Community Guidelines in line with local and global health authority guidance on topics that pose serious real-world risks, such as misinformation on COVID-19, vaccines, reproductive health, and more.
The platform is using three categories – Prevention, Treatment, and Denial – to sort the kinds of medical misinformation on the platform. It will remove content that contradicts guidance from health authorities on the prevention and transmission of certain conditions, including vaccines. It will also take down content that contradicts guidance on treatments, including videos that tout unproven remedies in place of seeking care, and content that denies the existence of specific conditions, including COVID-19.
In addition, YouTube is targeting cancer treatment misinformation. It will begin to remove content that promotes cancer treatments proven to be harmful or ineffective, or content that discourages viewers from seeking professional medical treatment. This includes content that promotes unproven treatments in place of approved care or as a guaranteed cure, and treatments that have been specifically deemed harmful by health authorities.
The platform said it will evaluate whether a condition, treatment, or substance is in scope of its medical misinformation policies by looking at whether it’s associated with a high public health risk, publicly available guidance from health authorities around the world, and whether it’s generally prone to misinformation.
YouTube’s new framework is an important step in combating medical misinformation on the platform. This will help ensure viewers are getting accurate and reliable information and help protect them from potentially harmful treatments. It will also help protect creators from potential legal action, as well as help ensure YouTube remains a safe and trustworthy source of health information.
