YouTube to remove content instructing on ‘unsafe abortions’
(NewsNation) — YouTube announced Thursday it will begin to remove content that instructs viewers on how to perform “unsafe abortion methods.”
The company said it will also remove “false claims” about abortion safety as defined by its medical misinformation policies.
“Like all of our policies on health/medical topics, we rely on published guidance from health authorities,” said the company.
Since the Supreme Court ruling last month that struck down Roe v. Wade, providers and patients have had to navigate new restrictions as the laws in states change with varying levels of clarity.
YouTube said it will provide an “information panel” with context and information from health authorities with abortion-related videos and certain search results.
While it’s not the first time the site has included an information panel on certain videos — the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic, to name a couple — it is rare for the company to announce it will remove videos on a certain topic entirely.
Google, YouTube’s owner, already has a policy against what it calls misinformation. It encourages people to report videos that promote “harmful remedies or treatments, certain types of technically manipulated content, or content interfering with democratic processes.”
In June, President Joe Biden’s administration launched a website providing pregnant people with information on reproductive health care services.
The site details where people can find abortion services, including funds and resources to help get the procedure, using https://www.abortionfinder.org/. The site also offers information on birth control, and what plans are covered under the Affordable Care Act, including emergency contraception, hormonal methods and implanted devices. One section of ReproductiveRights.gov explains what to do for those without health insurance as well.