YouTube Finally Bans All Anti-Vaxxers

On Wednesday, the video-sharing platform announced in a blog post that its "medical misinformation policies" would now extend to content opposing any vaccines deemed "safe and effective by local health authorities and by the World Health Organization (WHO)," as it carries a "serious risk of egregious harm." According to YouTube, the policy would apply to content that directly "contradicts local health authorities' or the WHO's guidance on vaccine safety, efficacy, and ingredients," including similar videos about vaccines for thing like measles and hepatitis B.

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This blanket ban comes after YouTube created its "medical misinformation policy" in response to those against COVID-19 vaccines. However, a source speaking to the New York Timesexplained that many of these videos ended up also being part of broader anti-vaxx content that claimed other vaccines carried the same "risk."

As a resiult, the policy change will see the removal of any videos that argues vaccines are ineffective, made up of harmful ingredients and/or contain tracking devices. Not only that, but YouTube has vowed to take down any content claiming that approved vaccines cause cancer, impotency, autism and more.

However, YouTube also noted that it will allow videos about "vaccine policies, new vaccine trials, and historical vaccine successes or failure," as well as personal testimonials relating to vaccines so long as the video "doesn't violate other Community Guidelines, or the channel doesn't show a pattern of promoting vaccine hesitancy."

Read YouTube's entire blog post here.

Photo via Getty / David McNew