More than 500,000 Covid misinformation videos removed from YouTube

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More Than 500,000 Covid Misinformation Videos Removed From Youtube
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By Jamie Harris, PA Science Technology Reporter

More than half a million misinformation videos about coronavirus have been removed by YouTube in the past 12 months, the Google-owned platform’s boss has said.

Concerns around misinformation have been exacerbated by the pandemic, forcing tech giants to re-examine their rules against false claims such as suggestions the virus is a hoax or promoting medically unsubstantiated cures.

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“We’ve continued to make updates to our Covid-19 policies to stay current with the science, and we’ve removed more than half a million videos under these policies since February,” said YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki.

“Now our focus has turned toward the possibilities ahead with vaccination.”

In October, the video-sharing site expanded its Covid-19 medical misinformation policy to ban content about vaccines that contradicts what is said by official health authorities, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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YouTube has seen overall usage jump during the pandemic, as many look for information and entertainment during lockdowns.

During the first quarter of last year, YouTube said it experienced a 25 per cent increase in watch-time around the world.

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In the first half of the year, total daily livestreams also increased by 45 per cent.

“The pandemic has accelerated our digital lives,” Ms Wojcicki said.

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“We’re always working to strike the right balance between openness and responsibility as we meet the guidelines set by governments around the world.”

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