YouTube has unveiled new guidelines aimed at combatting medical misinformation on its video platform. The company plans to reorganize its current medical misinformation rules into three distinct categories: prevention, treatment, and denial.In the realm of prevention, YouTube will eliminate content that contradicts health authorities’ recommended guidelines for warding off specific illnesses. This encompasses the removal of material that challenges the “safety and effectiveness of approved vaccines.”Treatment misinformation efforts will involve the removal of content that endorses health remedies not sanctioned by health authorities. This covers materials that advocate for unapproved treatments like cesium chloride for cancer.
The denial aspect will encompass the removal of content disputing the existence of particular health conditions, such as COVID-19. Notably, YouTube has committed to tackling disinformation surrounding cancer treatment in a focused manner under these updated guidelines. The platform will take down any content promoting ineffective treatments or discouraging patients from seeking medical assistance. Highlighting the severity of the issue, YouTube states in a blog post, “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.”
YouTube emphasizes that it will consider the context when implementing these policies, factoring in aspects such as public interest and personal testimonials. These measures signify YouTube’s concerted effort to curb the spread of medical misinformation while maintaining a responsible approach to content governance.
