YouTube is updating its information panels, which appear when you search things about COVID-19, to include information about vaccines.
The company rolled out the panels earlier this year, and now as discussions about potential COVID-19 vaccines are increasing, YouTube wants to direct viewers to reliable sources.
YouTube will now prompt users to “learn more about vaccine progress” from reliable sources like the World Health Organization on relevant videos. The new panels are already visible in the United States, and will be rolling out worldwide in the next few days.
It’s a good move on YouTube’s part to try to inform people about vaccinations, especially since anti-vax conspiracy theorists will be using the platform to discourage people from being vaccinated.
However, YouTube has recently come under fire for its inability to control the spread of misinformation lately. For instance, it refused to take down videos that spread misinformation about the U.S. election.
It’s been taking a bit of a more relaxed stance on controlling misinformation when compared to platforms like Facebook and Twitter, which have been actively removing and labelling false claims. Because of this, it’s unclear whether an information panel will be effective enough at combating misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
Via: The Verge
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