YouTube to curb amount of 5G-linked coronavirus conspiracy theory videos recommended to users
Image: Just_Super/IStock.com via AFP Relaxnews
As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the world, so do conspiracy theories about its origin. A popular theory that has surfaced and flourished across the web is one which suggests there is a link between the virus and the launch of 5G connectivity. Yesterday, The Guardian reported that videos supporting this claim published to YouTube will be suppressed.
Fewer videos with such content will be recommended to users and surface in their search results, as these theories have led to a series of attacks on phone masts, particularly in the United Kingdom. Videos that go so far as to breach the company’s policies will be removed; however, “content that is simply conspiratorial about 5G mobile communications networks, without mentioning coronavirus, is still allowed on the site.”
YouTube has been working since early February to remove potentially harmful content that suggests a relationship between COVID-19 and 5G as well as various other inaccurate conceptions about the virus. Complementing these actions, the company has also been making information from recognized health organizations like the CDC and WHO about the disease easier to find and access directly on the platform. JB
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