YouTube to add link on Covid-19 vaccines to combat misinformation

SAN FRANCISCO - Alphabet Inc's YouTube said on Tuesday (Nov 17) it is adding a link to provide information on the development of Covid-19 vaccines to the coronavirus panel on its site, expanding its efforts to combat misinformation related to the pandemic.

The link will send users directly to authoritative Covid-19 vaccine information from a third-party source like the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organisation (WHO), the company said in a statement.

Conspiracy theories and misinformation about the new coronavirus vaccines have proliferated on social media, including through anti-vaccine personalities on YouTube and viral videos shared across multiple platforms.

Last week, a study conducted in the United States and Britain found conspiracy theories and misinformation fuel mistrust in vaccines and could push levels that potential Covid-19 vaccines are taken below the rates needed to protect communities against the disease.

In October, the video platform said it would remove videos containing misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines, and ban any content with claims that contradict consensus from local health authorities or the WHO.

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YouTube's move on Tuesday follows promising results from two major vaccine efforts.

Moderna Inc said on Monday its experimental Covid-19 vaccine is more than 94.5 per cent effective based on interim data from late-stage trials.

Last week, Pfizer Inc said its vaccine was shown to be more than 90 per cent effective.

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