YouTube to Begin Removing Videos With Abortion Misinformation
Videos that provide instruction for unsafe abortion methods or promote misinformation about abortion safety will be removed.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
YouTube will begin removing videos with abortion misinformation, including those that contain instructions for unsafe abortion methods, it said Thursday. The video sharing platform will also remove videos that promote false claims about abortion safety, under Google's medical misinformation policies.
"Like all of our policies on health/medical topics, we rely on published guidance from health authorities," YouTube said on Twitter. "We prioritize connecting people to content from authoritative sources on health topics."
Google's medical policies include removing information that "contradicts local health authorities' or WHO guidance on certain safe medical practices," including safe chemical and surgical abortion methods.
YouTube will also add an information panel on abortion, with information from health authorities.