YouTube Will Now Remove All Anti-Vaccine Content From Platform
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – YouTube, the mammoth video-sharing social media website owned by Google, has announced on Wednesday that going forward it will ban all videos that have anti-vaccine content, which includes videos that are critical of any vaccine, not just COVID-19-related ones.
Officials representing YouTube confirmed the ban in a blog post entitled “Managing harmful vaccine content on YouTube,” where they stated that any video content that alleges that medically-approved vaccines do not work or can harm people will be deleted.
“Specifically, content that falsely alleges that approved vaccines are dangerous and cause chronic health effects, claims that vaccines do not reduce transmission or contraction of disease, or contains misinformation on the substances contained in vaccines will be removed,” the blog post said. “This would include content that falsely says that approved vaccines cause autism, cancer or infertility, or that substances in vaccines can track those who receive them. Our policies not only cover specific routine immunizations like for measles or Hepatitis B, but also apply to general statements about vaccines.”
YouTube reps also noted in the post that the platform will also ban content that makes false claims regarding the material components of approved vaccines.
In certain instances, entire channels are being removed from YouTube altogether for violating the terms of the new anti-vaccine ban, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense Fund, author Joseph Mercola, health blogger Erin Elizabeth and Ohio doctor Sherri Tenpenny.
YouTube already has a similar ban in-place on anti-COVID-19 vaccine content, but now has expanded that edict via this new ban to include all content that alleges that medically-approved vaccines are harmful or ineffective.
However, YouTube noted that video content related to commentary regarding public or private vaccine policies, vaccine research, and vaccine history is still allowed.
“Personal testimonials relating to vaccines will also be allowed, so long as the video doesn’t violate other Community Guidelines, or the channel doesn’t show a pattern of promoting vaccine hesitancy,” YouTube’s blog post said.
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