YouTube aims to remove medical misinformation around several health conditions. "These policies will apply to specific health conditions, treatments, and substances where content contradicts local health authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO)," the video streaming platform has said in a blog.
Content like "caesium chloride as a treatment for cancer", “garlic cures cancer,” or “take vitamin C instead of radiation therapy” would be removed the company has said.
"YouTube doesn't allow content that poses a serious risk of egregious harm by spreading medical misinformation that contradicts local health authorities’ (LHAs) or the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidance about specific health conditions and substances," the blog post by YouTube's Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health Partnerships, Garth Graham and company's VP and Global Head of Trust and Safety, Matt Halprin said. The medical misinformation guidelines will come under three categories- prevention, treatment and denial.
However, the YouTube will allow content in public interest like a video of a public hearing or comments made by national political candidates on the campaign trail that disputes health authority guidance, or graphic footage from active warzones or humanitarian crises. Exceptions will also be made for personal testimonies or content that discusses the results of a specific medical study.
YouTube will age-gate some content or "surface an information panel underneath these videos to provide additional context for viewers." The video streaming platform is planning to publish a playlist of informative videos around cancer. It said it is collaborating with MayoClinic to share information on variety of cancer conditions.
