The infodemia in which we live is not comparable to the tragic effects it is causing in the loss of human life the COVID-19 in all the world, but without a doubt it is a problem of the first order. A reason for additional concern which already alerted the WHO even before being declared the global pandemic.
Shown in this concern are the special measures that are taking over the major social platforms to address the fake news, hoaxes and scams around this health crisis. Even going beyond what is normal.
Particular proof of this determination is YouTube. Platform that these days claims to be redoubling their efforts to reduce the spread of misinformation is harmful. And for shows, the removal of a video in which it was said that plants could be achieved immunity against the virus.
Merciless fight against the misinformation
The protagonist of this video —reported on Twitter for many users these days— is Josep Pàmiesknown for ensure barbarities as certain plants are more effective against cancer than chemotherapy. The title did not leave place to doubts about the content: “Immunity to the virus with plants”.
Screen capture of the video of Josep Pàmies of the account “What evil can you do?” (@qmph_es) of Twitter. The removal of this video, which was produced in a matter of hours after its publication, is due to a violation of the rules of the YouTube community. Specifically, according to the sources of YouTube, questioned by Engadgetat the present time do not allow contents that promote assumptions, remedies or dangerous methods not confirmed that may deter the pursuit of medical treatment, as might be the case.
In addition, in the context of the fight against the misinformation related to the coronavirus, from the platform of Google make sure that also delete content that discussed the recommendations of the World Health Organization or local health authorities the respect of the social distance or the confinement that can induce dangerous behaviors.
“We have in our thoughts to all people affected by the coronavirus in the entire world”, say from YouTube Engadget. “We are committed to providing useful and updated information on this situation as critical, promoting contents authorized, reducing the dissemination of misinformation is harmful and showing panels with information of WHO to help combat the misinformation. We also have clear policies that prohibit videos that promote methods doctors do not confirmed to prevent the coronavirus instead of seeking medical treatment, and eliminate quickly the videos violating these policies when we are alerted about them”.
For this reason, the removal of the video Pàmies has not been the only.
In the last few hours it has been known that YouTube has removed from its platform fourteen videos relating to the COVID-19, after the denunciation of the Consell de l’audiovisual de Catalunya, because it is false news, or to promote treatments are not scientists treat the disease caused by the coronavirus.
According to the regulator Catalan, in these videos that accumulated over 340,000 visualizations of various people presented themselves as researchers and they defended as a remedy “the ingestion of sodium chlorite or chlorine dioxide, used as a disinfectant”. In addition, they attributed the lack of recognition of the health authorities “to the interests of the pharmaceutical industry” because, they assured, would be a remedy much cheaper.
Calls the attention that some of these videos, according to their titles, referring to Josep Pàmies and alleged remedies dangerous that has touted repeatedly. One of them is the MMS, a fake medication according Pàmies can cure the disease in just 24 hours. The compound is a dangerous dissolution of sodium chlorite in water, a type of a bleaching industrial used in different industries; a “lye gourmet”.
it was originally published in
Engadget
by
Toni Castillo
.
