YouTube "Ineffective and False 'Fake Medical News', Removal Action"

"Health Authorities to Follow WTO Medical Regulations"
Content Serving Public Interest Exempted

YouTube has announced that it will delete fake news related to the medical field in the future. In particular, it plans to remove various false information that is introduced as treatments despite lacking scientific evidence and proven efficacy, in order to prevent harm to viewers.

YouTube has announced that it will delete fake news related to the medical field in the future.
[Photo by YouTube logo capture]

According to CNN on the 15th (local time), YouTube revealed its 'long-term vision for combating misinformation in healthcare' through its official blog, stating that it will take down fake news related to the medical field.

Under this measure, YouTube plans to actively regulate fake news related to healthcare going forward. Accordingly, it will first proactively delete videos providing false information about cancer treatment and then gradually expand the scope of deletions. This policy is interpreted as a response to the confusion caused by the widespread dissemination of misinformation about vaccines and other topics on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic.

YouTube stated, "We have established this policy to ensure that our platform does not distribute information that harms viewers," and announced the same policy on YouTube Korea's official blog. The determination of whether information is false will follow the medical regulations of Korean health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Initially, videos presenting content that contradicts health authorities' guidelines on cancer treatment will be deleted, and the scope of deletions will gradually expand. Examples of false information about cancer treatment include claims such as "cancer can be cured with garlic" and "take vitamin C instead of undergoing radiation therapy."

YouTube further explained, "We will continuously monitor misinformation related to healthcare going forward," adding, "Through this, creators will produce high-quality content, and users will be able to trust the health information they find on YouTube."

It also added that content serving the public interest will not be deleted even if it violates policies. This includes videos of public hearings where various discussions about policies take place, or statements by political leaders challenging health authorities' policies.

Additionally, content containing personal testimonies or discussions of specific medical research results may be exempt. In such cases, YouTube plans to provide additional context by restricting viewing age or displaying explanatory text at the bottom of the video.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.