Despite clear scientific evidence about the existence of COVID-19 and the safety and efficiency of the vaccine, YouTube continues to fight against the spread of misinformation.
To help combat it, YouTube has removed over 30,000 videos in the last six months that contain misleading or false claims about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Why Has YouTube Removed So Many Videos?
As reported by Axios, YouTube has removed more than 30,000 videos that spread incorrect information about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The figures were shared by YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez. It's the first time the company has shared data on these takedowns.
In a poll conducted by Axios, around 30% of Americans are suspicious of vaccines. Their hesitancy has no doubt been fueled by the misinformation that spreads not only on YouTube, but other social networks like Twitter and Facebook.
YouTube has a COVID-19 medical misinformation policy. In October 2020, vaccination falsehoods were added to it. Since February 2020, YouTube has taken down over 800,000 video as a result of the policy.
The videos are flagged first through artificial intelligence and humans, then are reviewed to ensure the flag was deserved. If it was, the offending video is removed and the account receives a strike. Multiple strikes can lead to a permanent ban.