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YouTubers who spread theories of conspiracy, misinformation and lies about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines will no longer be able to make money by doing so. YouTube announced last Friday that they would stop leaving such videos monetized. This has led to the immediate suspension of the monetization of several popular channels such as VAXXED TV, LarryCook333 and iHealthTube, and additional steps must be taken as the algorithms adapt to the change. YouTube said in a statement:
Strict rules govern the videos on which we allow the broadcast of ads. Videos promoting anti-vaccination content violate these rules. We enforce these rules vigorously and if we find a video that violates them, we immediately take action and remove the ads.
With anti-vaccination hysteria on the rise, it's good to see that YouTube is taking the first step to exhaust incredibly harmful content that contributes to the emergence of new, potentially life-threatening outbreaks. Reported measles cases have spread, particularly in Harris County. The incredibly contagious disease has caused more than 100,000 deaths worldwide in 2017 according to the World Health Organization. Deadly epidemics occur in unvaccinated populations.
Social media has played an extremely important role in the rise of anti-vaccine sentiment. The problem is that the ratio of evidence-based content to vaccines, nonsense and nuterry is very high. Julie Carrie Wong at La Guardian conducted a thorough investigation into how search engines are guiding users towards the anti-vaccine side disproportionately compared to the scientific side.
"Simple research on Facebook and YouTube shows how anti-vaccination propaganda can surpass factual information," says Wong. "Using a new account without friends or tastes, the Guardian used the Facebook search bar to type in the word" vaccine. "Facebook's auto-entry feature quickly began to suggest search terms that could have a negative impact on the search engine. guide the user's discussion forum about education, "vaccine rehab," truth movement about the vaccine, "and" movement Vaccine resistance & # 39; & # 39;
Pinterest joins YouTube to fight deadly ignorance. The social network has blocked "vaccine" from its search function. The measure is a temporary way of stopping the flow as the company looks for a more permanent solution.
The YouTube initiative has caused a predictable outcry online, many accusing the company of being censored or deliberately hiding the truth about vaccines. This is completely false, because you can still find a lot of content on YouTube from reliable, evidence-based sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and our own Texas Children's Hospital.
Anti-vaccination groups as the aptly named Health Nut News denounced YouTube's policy against videos promoting "vaccine hesitation", which is the latest insignificant overhaul of the dangerously misplaced movement. Erin Elizabeth said the policy should not affect their ability to sell products or solicit donations.
Unfortunately, anti-vaccination propaganda continues to flourish. Facebook has groups on the subject with millions of users. Amazon continues to broadcast the documentary on pseudoscience Vaxxed: From hiding to disaster led by Andrew Wakefield, the disgraced and denounced physician who has popularized the lie that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism. The videos may not be monetized on YouTube, but they are still there, and while the loss of charlatan and charlatan revenues is welcome, the ideas are still popular.
"The demonetization of anti-vaccine videos on YouTube is a good thing that sends a powerful message," says James Fell, author of the book on health and fitness. The sacred moment: how to have an epiphany that will change your life and that will inspire you to live your dreams. "And although it hurts the" movement ", it will not stop them because, just as there are those who think that the Earth is flat or that 9/11 was an internal job, we are talking here about A group of true believers The marginalization of dangerous ideas is important, but it makes those who hold such anti-scientific positions even more deeply rooted, believing that they are the only ones who know the truth, and that YouTube is part of it. of a "big pharma" plot to poison the population. "
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