YouTube removes over million videos containing 'hazardous misinformation about coronavirus'
By Team Newsable | First Published Aug 26, 2021, 10:07 AM ISTSince February 2020, the company has deleted over one million videos containing hazardous coronavirus material, such as bogus treatments or hoax claims.
YouTube, a Google-owned video streaming site, has stated that it has deleted over a million videos containing "hazardous disinformation about coronavirus" since the COVID-19 epidemic began last year. The YouTube statement comes as political leaders criticise social media and online platforms for failing to prevent the spread of misinformation and deception about the coronavirus. In a blog post, YouTube announced that the company relies on expert consensus from health organisations such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. However, in some cases, "misinformation" is not clear cut as new facts emerge later on.
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In a blog post, YouTube's chief product officer Neal Mohan stated, "Our standards centre on the removal of any content that might directly lead to severe real-world harm."
Since February 2020, the company has deleted over one million videos containing hazardous coronavirus material, such as bogus treatments or hoax claims. He added that they know that quick removals would always be necessary and that they are not nearly adequate. However, the essential thing we can do is maximise the positive and minimise the negative.
YouTube also stated that it is striving to speed up deleting videos that contain incorrect information while simultaneously providing those from reliable sources. According to the blog post, YouTube eliminates over 10 million videos per quarter, with the bulk of them being seen less than ten times before being removed.
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In other news, second Google for India event was organised on August 25, during which the tech giant addressed safety steps to make the "internet safer for everyone." The event typically focused on India-specific updates and developments (including investment), and the topic was 'Safer with Google.'
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