YouTube to Remove Videos Containing Misinformation About Abortion

The video platform announced Thursday it will remove content that promotes unsafe abortion methods and misinformation about abortion safety following the end of Roe v. Wade

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YouTube is purging its site of misinformation about abortion following the Supreme Court decision last month to overturn Roe v. Wade.

On Thursday, the Google-owned company announced that it will be removing all misleading videos about abortion, inlcuding those that promote unsafe abortion methods and misinformation about abortion safety.

"Like all of our policies on health/medical topics, we rely on published guidance from health authorities," the video platform said on Twitter. "We prioritize connecting people to content from authoritative sources on health topics, and we continuously review our policies & products as real world events unfold."

Additionally, YouTube said it's launching an information panel that will provide users with context and information from local and global health authorities that will appear under abortion-related videos and above relevant search results.

In an example of the information panel shared on Twitter, the company cited the National Library of Medicine from the National Institutes of Health, writing, "An abortion is a procedure to end a pregnancy. It uses medicine or surgery to remove the embryo or fetus and placenta from the uterus. The procedure is done by a licensed healthcare professional. For informational purposes only. Consult your local medical authority for advice."

"We believe it's important to connect people to content from authoritative sources regarding health topics, and we continuously review our policies and products as real world events unfold," YouTube spokesperson Elena Hernandez said in a statement, per CNN.

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YouTube's announcement comes two weeks after Google's decision to assure the privacy of its users who visit abortion clinics.

The company revealed in a blog post that it will automatically delete location data of users who visit medical facilities like abortion clinics, fertility centers, domestic violence shelters, counseling centers and more.

The information was described as being "particularly personal" and the decision was made in hopes of preventing legal troubles for users of the search engine as states continue to implement abortion bans and restrictions.

"Today, we're announcing that if our systems identify that someone has visited one of these places, we will delete these entries from Location History soon after they visit," wrote Jen Fitzpatrick, Google's senior vice president of core systems and experiences. "We're committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections."

Though Google did not detail its future response to requests for information from law enforcement, the company emphasized that it will "continue to oppose demands that are overly broad or otherwise legally objectionable."

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