YouTube To Block All Anti-Vaccine Content, Channels — Know All About Revised Misinformation Policy

It has been advised for users not to post content on the platform if it includes harmful misinformation about currently approved and administered vaccines.

(Representative Image/Getty)

New Delhi: Popular video-sharing platform YouTube is banning all anti-vaccine content, expanding its vaccine misinformation policy beyond Covid-19 for content critical of vaccines that are considered safe by health authorities. 

YouTube has recently released a video with revised guidelines in its "vaccine misinformation policy," which explains what content and channels will be removed regarding currently administered vaccines.

"YouTube doesn’t allow content that poses a serious risk of egregious harm by spreading medical misinformation about currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective by local health authorities and by the World Health Organization (WHO)," YouTube said on its support page.

It has been advised for YouTubers not to post content on the platform if it includes harmful misinformation about currently approved and administered vaccines on any of the following:

Vaccine safety: content alleging that vaccines cause chronic side effects, outside of rare side effects that are recognized by health authorities

Efficacy of vaccines: content claiming that vaccines do not reduce transmission or contraction of disease 

Ingredients in vaccines: content misrepresenting the substances contained in vaccines

Further explaining the revised policy, the video website warned users that first-time offenders are likely to get a warning with no penalty to their channel. Following this, the platform may issue a strike against faulty channels.

If a user gets 3 strikes within 90 days, his/her channel will be terminated.  

Even those videos claiming that vaccines don’t reduce the transmission of disease will also be removed from the website.

However, YouTube also said that it will make exceptions for certain educational, scientific, artistic or testimonial content provided it contains some additional context. 

This includes public demonstrations and firsthand experiences with vaccines.

According to the Washington Post, the online video company owned by Alphabet Inc has also expanded the crackdown on prominent anti-vaccine activists, taking down several channels.