USA — In a significant move to combat the spread of misleading health information, YouTube has unveiled its stricter stance on content related to cancer treatments.
The platform announced on Tuesday that it will now remove content promoting “harmful or ineffective” cancer treatments and discouraging professional medical care.
This policy update falls within YouTube’s broader efforts to curtail medical misinformation and provide its users with credible and accurate health information.
Under its revamped medical misinformation guidelines, YouTube is targeting content that propagates unproven treatments as substitutes for approved medical care or presents them as guaranteed cures.
Specifically, videos promoting dubious claims like “garlic cures cancer” or advocating for alternatives like “vitamin C instead of radiation therapy” will be taken down.
The company emphasizes the need to safeguard public health, particularly given the high mortality rate associated with cancer and the prevalence of misinformation surrounding its treatment.
Empowering patients with reliable information
Acknowledging the role of online platforms in shaping health-related decisions, YouTube aims to ensure that users can access credible information when researching cancer symptoms, treatments, and support communities.
The platform recognizes the significance of maintaining a balance between removing harmful content and enabling constructive discussions and debates.
With an estimated 18.1 million cancer cases worldwide in 2020, and a staggering 602,000 deaths attributed to cancer in the U.S. alone during the same year, the urgency to counteract cancer misinformation becomes apparent.
YouTube’s endeavor aligns with its commitment to contribute positively to public health discourse.
Evidence of online information gaps
Past studies have underscored the shortcomings of online health information. Research led by Dr. Stacy Loeb, a urology and population health professor, highlighted the inadequacy of bladder and prostate cancer-related content on YouTube.
A significant portion of these videos were deemed of “poor quality,” emphasizing the need for platforms to elevate the standard of health information available to users.
YouTube’s strengthened stance on cancer misinformation will be enforced promptly, with an emphasis on ramping up enforcement in the coming weeks.
To counterbalance the removal of misleading content, the platform plans to amplify cancer-related information from reputable sources, including the Mayo Clinic.
This latest development follows YouTube’s previous efforts to tackle health misinformation, including its crackdown on COVID-19 misinformation and vaccine-related falsehoods.
The platform’s ongoing dedication to refining its guidelines reflects its pivotal role in shaping the digital health information landscape.
YouTube’s renewed commitment to combat cancer misinformation marks a positive stride towards fostering a well-informed online community.
As the platform refines its policies and promotes content from authoritative sources, users seeking accurate health information can expect an improved experience, fostering a more informed and empowered approach to cancer prevention and treatment
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