Video sharing platform YouTube said that it will remove videos containing misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines that contradict consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organisation.
In a blog post, YouTube said that this would include removing claims that the vaccine will kill people or cause infertility, or that microchips will be implanted in people who receive the vaccine.
Farshad Shadloo, a YouTube spokesman, said in an email, “A COVID-19 vaccine may be imminent, therefore we’re ensuring we have the right policies in place to be able to remove misinformation related to a COVID-19 vaccine.” The new guidelines are an expansion of YouTube’s existing Covid-19 Medical Misinformation Policy, which doesn’t allow videos that falsely suggest the coronavirus doesn’t exist, that discourage mainstream medical care for the disease, or that say the virus is not contagious.
