YouTubes' COVID-19
medical misinformation policy is:
The safety of our
creators, viewers, and partners is our highest priority. We look to each of you
to help us protect this unique and vibrant community. It’s important you
understand our Community Guidelines, and the role they play in our shared
responsibility to keep YouTube safe. Take the time to carefully read
the policy below. You can also check out this page for a full list of
our guidelines.
YouTube doesn't allow content about COVID-19 that poses a
serious risk of egregious harm.
YouTube doesn't allow content that spreads medical
misinformation that contradicts local health authorities’ (LHA) or the World
Health Organization’s (WHO) medical information about COVID-19. This is limited
to content that contradicts WHO or local health authorities’ guidance on:
Note: YouTube’s policies on COVID-19 are subject
to change in response to changes to global or local health authorities’
guidance on the virus. There may be a delay between new LHA/WHO guidance and
policy updates given the frequency with which this guidance changes, and our
policies may not cover all LHA/WHO guidance related to COVID-19.
Our COVID-19 policies were first published on May 20, 2020.
What this policy means
for you
If you're posting content
Don’t post content on YouTube if it includes any of the
following:
Treatment misinformation:
Content that encourages the use of home remedies,
prayer, or rituals in place of medical treatment such as consulting a
doctor or going to the hospital
Content that claims that there’s a guaranteed cure for
COVID-19
Content that recommends use of Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine
for the treatment of COVID-19
Claims that Hydroxychloroquine is an effective
treatment for COVID-19
Categorical claims that Ivermectin is an effective
treatment for COVID-19
Claims that Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine are safe
to use in the prevention of COVID-19
Other content that discourages people from consulting a
medical professional or seeking medical advice
Prevention misinformation: Content that promotes
prevention methods that contradict local health authorities or WHO.
Claims that there is a guaranteed prevention method for
COVID-19
Content that recommends use of Ivermectin or
Hydroxychloroquine for the prevention of COVID-19
Claims that Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine are safe
to use in the prevention of COVID-19
Claims about COVID-19 vaccinations that contradict
expert consensus from local health authorities or WHO
Claims that an approved COVID-19 vaccine will cause
death, infertility, miscarriage, autism, or contraction of other
infectious diseases
Claims that an approved COVID-19 vaccine will contain
substances that are not on the vaccine ingredient list, such as
biological matter from fetuses (e.g. fetal tissue, fetal cell lines) or animal
products
Claims that an approved COVID-19 vaccine will contain
substances or devices meant to track or identify those who’ve received it
Claims that COVID-19 vaccines will make people who
receive them magnetic
Claims that an approved COVID-19 vaccine will alter a
person’s genetic makeup
Claims that COVID-19 vaccines do not reduce risk of
serious illness or death
Claims that any vaccine causes contraction of COVID-19
Claims that a specific population will be required (by
any entity except for a government) to take part in vaccine trials or
receive the vaccine first
Content that promotes the use of unapproved or
homemade COVID-19 vaccines
Instructions to counterfeit vaccine certificates, or
offers of sale for such documents
Diagnostic misinformation: Content that promotes
diagnostic information that contradicts local health authorities or WHO.
Transmission misinformation: Content that promotes
transmission information that contradicts local health authorities or WHO.
Content that claims that COVID-19 is not caused by a
viral infection
Content that claims COVID-19 is not contagious
Content that claims that COVID-19 cannot spread in
certain climates or geographies
Content that claims that any group or individual has
immunity to the virus or cannot transmit the virus
Content that denies the existence of COVID-19:
Denial that COVID-19 exists
Claims that people have not died or gotten sick from
COVID-19
Claims that the death rate of COVID-19 is equal to or
less than that of the common cold or seasonal flu
Claims that COVID-19 is equal to or less transmissible
than the common cold or seasonal flu
Claims that the symptoms of COVID-19 are never severe
This policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments,
live streams, and any other YouTube product or feature. Keep in mind that this
isn't a complete list. Please note these policies also apply to external links in your content.
This can include clickable URLs, verbally directing users to other sites in
video, as well as other forms.
Examples
Here are some examples of content that’s not allowed on YouTube:
Denial that COVID-19 exists
Claims that people have not died from COVID-19
Claims that any vaccine is a guaranteed prevention
method for COVID-19
Claims that a specific treatment or medicine is a
guaranteed cure for COVID-19
Claims that hydroxychloroquine saves people from
COVID-19
Promotion of MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution) for the
treatment of COVID-19
Claims that certain people have immunity to COVID-19
due to their race or nationality
Encouraging taking home remedies instead of getting
medical treatment when sick
Discouraging people from consulting a medical
professional if they’re sick
Content that claims that holding your breath can be
used as a diagnostic test for COVID-19
Videos alleging that if you avoid Asian food, you won’t
get the coronavirus
Videos alleging that setting off fireworks can clean
the air of the virus and will prevent the spread of the virus
Claims that COVID-19 is caused by radiation from 5G
networks
Videos alleging that the COVID-19 test is the cause of
the virus
Claims that countries with hot climates will not
experience the spread of the virus
Claims that COVID-19 vaccines kill people who receive
them
Claims that COVID-19 vaccines are a means of population
reduction
Videos claiming that COVID-19 vaccines contain fetal
tissue
Claims that the flu vaccine causes contraction of
COVID-19
Claims that the flu is more contagious than COVID-19
Claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause contraction of
other infectious diseases or makes people more vulnerable to contraction of
other infectious diseases
Claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain a microchip or
tracking device
Claims that achieving herd immunity through natural
infection is safer than vaccinating the population
Claims that COVID-19 never causes serious symptoms or
hospitalization
Claims that the death rate from the seasonal flu is
higher than the death rate of COVID-19
Claims that people are immune to the virus based on
their race
Claims that children cannot or do not contract COVID-19
Claims that there have not been cases or deaths in
countries where cases or deaths have been confirmed by local health
authorities or the WHO
Educational, documentary,
scientific or artistic content
We may allow content that violates the misinformation policies
noted on this page if that content includes additional context in the video,
audio, title, or description. This is not a pass to promote misinformation.
Additional context may include countervailing views from local health
authorities or medical experts. We may also make exceptions if the purpose of
the content is to condemn, dispute, or satirize misinformation that violates
our policies. We may also make exceptions for content showing an open public
forum, like a protest or public hearing, provided the content does not aim to promote
misinformation that violates our policies.
What happens if content
violates this policy
If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content
and send you an email to let you know. If this is your first time violating our
Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a warning with no penalty to your
channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike against your channel. If you get 3
strikes within 90 days, your channel will be terminated. You can learn more
about our strikes system here.
We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations
of the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your
channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is
dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account
terminations here.
