A new initiative to eliminate false information about cancer treatments has been announced by YouTube. The site said that it will delete any information that encourages the use of “cancer treatments proven to be harmful or ineffective” or that dissuades users from seeking medical attention. This action is a component of a larger initiative to classify its current medical misinformation recommendations into three groups: prevention, treatment, and denial.
Dr. Garth Graham, Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health Partnerships at YouTube, outlined how these policies will target particular medical conditions, therapies, and substances where content deviates from recommendations made by national or international health organizations (WHO) or local health authorities.
The platform’s new policies will cover a range of topics, including as the removal of information that deviates from recommendations made by medical authorities regarding the prevention and spread of particular illnesses as well as the security and efficacy of licensed vaccinations. This includes material that advises using dangerous chemicals to avoid sickness and pushing people to treat specific ailments with questionable home cures rather than going to the doctor.
The platform will also take action against material that challenges the reality of particular health issues, such as by disputing COVID-19-related fatalities, said Matt Halprin, Vice President and Global Head of Trust and Safety at YouTube.
YouTube will progressively roll out its content removal operations over the following weeks, starting with a recent Tuesday. This will entail taking down material that urges viewers to avoid getting qualified medical attention as well as material that supports cancer therapies that have been shown to be hazardous or ineffective. Videos that promote untested treatments as substitutes for recommended care or as surefire cures fall within this category, especially when such treatments have been labeled dangerous by health authorities.
YouTube is compiling a playlist of interesting cancer-related videos from reliable sources in order to deliver factual and educational information. The site is furthermore working with the Mayo Clinic to create fresh video material that disseminates knowledge about distinct cancer situations.
By addressing cancer misconceptions in this way, YouTube hopes to increase the accessibility of dependable health-related material on its platform.
