The service previously blocked content claiming that coronavirus vaccines are dangerous or ineffective, the Engadget website has reported on Wednesday.

It said YouTube had banned all videos containing misinformation about vaccines currently administered and approved by local health authorities or the World Health Organisation (WHO).

„The measure is an expansion of a policy covering COVID-19 vaccines,“ the website said.
It quoted YouTube as saying „that users shouldn’t for instance, post videos in which they claim that vaccines lead to chronic side effects (other than rare side effects that health authorities have acknowledged); content that alleges vaccines don’t reduce transmission or contraction of diseases; or videos that have inaccuracies about vaccine ingredients.“

However, YouTube „will continue to allow content about vaccine policies, new vaccine trials and historical vaccine successes or failures.“ Users can also share scientific discussions of vaccines and personal testimonials about their experiences, as long as they don’t have a history of promoting vaccine misinformation and their video complies with YouTube’s other rules. Posting videos that „condemn, dispute or satirize misinformation“ that violates YouTube’s policies should be okay too.“

The website said YouTube told the Washington Post ot was taking down channels linked to prominent anti-vaccine advocates, including Joseph Mercola and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Engadget recalled that YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, banned COVID-19 misinformation in the early days of the pandemic in the spring of 2020.

„YouTube has removed more than 130,000 videos that broke its rules about COVID-19 vaccines, and more than a million videos that included coronavirus misinformation,“ the website said.

It added that Facebook formally had banned vaccine misinformation in February.