Sky News Banned From YouTube For COVID Misinformation

Share post:

YouTube has sanctioned Sky News Australia by barring it from uploading new content for a week for breaching rules on spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

It has imposed a “strike” as part of its three-strike policy, the last of which is sanctioned by permanent removal.

YouTube did not refer to specific videos released by Sky News Australia, but spoke out against material that “could cause real-world harm.”

The broadcaster’s digital editor said the decision was a disturbing affront to the ability to think freely.

Sky News Australia, is owned by a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and has 1.85 million YouTube subscribers. The ban could have a negative impact on its revenue stream from Google.

A YouTube statement said there were “clear and established COVID-19 medical misinformation policies based on local and global health authority guidance” and that the videos in question “did not provide sufficient countervailing context,” a spokesperson said.

Millions of Australians are now in lockdown to prevent the rapid spread of the contagious Delta variant, while less than 15% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Comments by seasoned Sky presenter Alan Jones have sparked a debate in Australia, with the pair claiming in a July 12 broadcast with MP Craig Kelly that the Delta was not as dangerous as the original and vaccinations would not help.

The Sky News website issued an apology.

YouTube has issued dozens of bans in the past two years, a number of which concern COVID-19, but most involve hate speech.

For more information, read the original story in BBC.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Related articles

Free Our Feeds Campaign Seeks to Challenge Social Media Control By US Billionaires

“With Zuckerberg going full Musk last week, we can no longer let billionaires control our digital public square.”...

Oracle and Microsoft Propose TikTok Takeover

Oracle and Microsoft are reportedly joining forces to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, a move aimed at addressing longstanding...

TikTok Restores Service Following Federal Ban and Trump Intervention

TikTok, the popular short-form video platform, has begun restoring service to U.S. users following weeks of uncertainty after...

TikTok Plans Immediate Shutdown for U.S. Users on Sunday

TikTok is set to shut down its app for American users on Sunday, January 19, coinciding with the...

Become a member

New, Relevant Tech Stories. Our article selection is done by industry professionals. Our writers summarize them to give you the key takeaways