YouTube Expands Efforts to Combat Corona

YouTube announced on Wednesday that it will add a link to provide information on the development of COVID-19 vaccines, within the framework of its efforts to combat misinformation related to the pandemic.

According to the company statement, the link will send users directly to authoritative COVID-19 vaccine information from a third-party source like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization (WHO).

Meanwhile, YouTube announced on October that would remove videos containing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, and ban any content with claims that contradict consensus from local health authorities or the WHO.

On other hand, a study conducted in the United States and Britain found conspiracy theories and misinformation fuel mistrust in vaccines and could push levels that potential COVID-19 vaccines are taken below the rates needed to protect communities against the disease.

However, YouTube has recently come under fire for its inability to control the spread of misinformation lately. For instance, it refused to take down videos that spread misinformation about the U.S. election. It’s been taking a bit of a more relaxed stance on controlling misinformation when compared to platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Noteworthy, US total COVID-19 cases exceeded 11 million on Sunday more than one in 400 Americans tested positive for the virus in the last week, according to New York Times. The States across the nation are seeing a surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. In some areas, such as Washington state and New York, leaders are re-implementing restrictions and lockdowns to curb the spread.

Meanwhile, the nation recorded its third-highest day of new cases on Saturday with 159,100, raising the 7-day average to more than 145,000, the Times reported. Also, the country is currently averaging over 141,000 new coronavirus cases every day.