YouTube is placing restrictions on videos blaming 5G for the coronavirus pandemic, or outright banning them. Such videos violate the platform's policies in a number ways and there's potential for YouTube's crackdown on them to become even more stringent in the near future.
Unfounded concerns about the health risks of 5G have existed for as long as public knowledge of the technology itself, but in recent weeks, 5G-related conspiracies have become markedly more dangerous. Heightened public tensions due to the coronavirus, alongside gross misinformation, have created an environment where people are not only blaming 5G for the virus but have transitioned to attacking towers and engineers. Ironically, the conspiracy theories themselves are becoming the real physical threat.
A report from The Guardian explains YouTube's steps to try and quell these attacks. The online video platform is demonetizing or removing thousands of videos falsely attaching 5G to the COVID-19 pandemic in a bid to promote public safety. As part of a new policy update, YouTube bans videos that spread false information about coronavirus treatment or directly dispute the advice of organizations like the CDC and NHS. Those violations would include videos supporting a link between 5G and the coronavirus both because they spread coronavirus misinformation, and also because the destruction of communication towers poses a physical health risk to people in close proximity, and potential risks to people nearby who could then be without a means of communicating until those towers are repaired.
YouTube's Complicated Role in Supporting Public Health
Like many tech companies, YouTube has taken on the challenge of getting accurate, helpful information on COVID-19 to its many users. At the same time, the platform has come under fire frequently for potential censorship and now aims to be more transparent with its moderation decisions. In this specific case, YouTube is banning videos blaming 5G for coronavirus-related deaths because of the risks such as people disregarding official medical guidelines because they "know" the real problem is 5G. That means YouTube isn't banning other 5G conspiracy videos, such as those suggesting it causes cancer or miscarriages (remember: YouTube is free for everyone).
The report also highlights that an increase in physical violence and threats toward 5G towers and those who work on them, respectively, have inspired the UK culture secretary to hold a meeting with representatives of YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms to push for more strict moderation on these videos. There's room to debate if all unfounded conspiracy videos should be banned, as any of them have the potential to lead to violent acts, so some people take issue with YouTube specifically targeting these videos. However, the nature of the coronavirus is such that one or two misinformed people could endanger dozens so it's also understandable that these videos take priority.
Source: The Guardian [via Engadget]