YouTube has published new guidelines to tackle medical misinformation on the video platform.
The company says it will organize its existing medical misinformation guidelines into three categories: prevention, treatment, and denial.
Prevention will see the removal of content that disputes the guidance of health authorities on how to prevent certain illnesses. This includes removing content that contradicts the “safety and efficacy of approved vaccines.”
Treatment misinformation focuses on removing content that promotes treatment for health conditions that aren’t approved by health authorities. This can include contact advocating the use of caesium chloride to treat cancer.
Under denial, the platform will remove content that argues against the existence of certain health conditions, such as COVID-19.
YouTube is also taking a specific aim to remove disinformation related to cancer treatment under the updated framework. The platform will remove all content promoting treatments that aren’t effective or that encourage patients not to seek medical help.
“The public health risk is high as cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, there is stable consensus about safe cancer treatments from local and global health authorities, and it’s a topic that’s prone to misinformation,” the company states in a blog post.
YouTube says it will take context into account when imposing the policies, including public interest and personal testimonies.
Source: YouTube
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