While many have pointed fingers at the Delta variant for the most recent coronavirus surge, rampant misinformation is arguably just as much to blame. Anti-vaxxers have justified their refusal to get the jab with all kinds of ludicrous conspiracy theories. But the anti-vax movement goes way beyond COVID-19 vaccines. Misinformation on vaccines against other diseases has permeated social media for years. Now, YouTube is finally taking serious steps to combat it. In a blog post, the company announced it would ban misinformation on all vaccines. Better late than never, I guess?
The Google-owned platform had already enacted a similar ban on false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines, the New York Times reported. Its new policy goes a step further and also bans misinformation on other vaccines that have been approved by local health authorities and the WHO, as well as vaccines more broadly. That includes videos claiming that vaccines don’t curb disease transmission, or cause cancer, infertility, or autism, per YouTube’s blog post. The Times said the platform would also take down the accounts of anti-vaxx activists like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Joseph Mercola.
