YouTube announced that it removed 1 million videos for dangerous COVID-19 misinformation since February 2020, such as false cures or claims of a hoax.
The statement by the Google-owned video platform comes as social media platforms are under fire from political leaders for failing to stem the spread of false and harmful information about Covid-19.
“Speedy removals will always be important but we know they’re not nearly enough. The most important thing we can do is increase the good and decrease the bad,” said YouTube’s Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan.
‘In the midst of a global pandemic, everyone should be armed with absolutely the best information available to keep themselves and their families safe’. He added.
Mohan added that YouTube removes almost 10 million videos each quarter, ‘the majority of which don’t even reach 10 views’.
The Youtube executive argued that bad content accounts for only a small percentage of YouTube content. Overall, bad content represents only a tiny percentage of the billions of videos on YouTube
‘For COVID-19, we rely on expert consensus from health organizations like the CDC and WHO to track the science as it develops. In most other cases, misinformation is less clear-cut’ Mohan said.
Other platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, have also rolled out policies around health misinformation during the pandemic.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.