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YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

reuters.com

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Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#141

Post by j8hn »

gizmo385 wrote: post #89
xienze wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Obvious bullshit is fooling huge chunks of the population and causing huge damage. “Obvious” is debatable. Hardly anyone watching scientific content of any kind is an expert in the subject matter. What the public has always relied on is some sort of authority figure lending credibility to some idea or news story. For instance, saying masks don’t work is “obvious” bullshit. But remember back in March? Our glorious l…

> But remember back in March? Our glorious leaders were urging us not to buy masks because they don’t work, and besides, doctors need them. I think this is a bit disingenuous. First of all, you're looking back with the benefit of hindsight and the knowledge of the virus that we have today. Additionally, weren't most of the recommendations around mask wearing that people not gobble up PPE because there was such a shor…

No, it's not disingenuous.

The surgeon general said in March that masks were not effective for the general public against Covid-19.

The CDC said on March 13, 2020 that there is really no evidence that wearing a mask will reduce your risk for any respiratory infection.

https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1238487810874789889

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#142

Post by hitchhiker999 »

arminiusreturns wrote: post #54

You know, I'm sort of thankful for the increase in private/public company censorship, because they are doing it so poorly and with such bad timing that I think it's starting to create a kickback effect where more people are waking up to the issues... so I am hoping it causes a pendulum swing back the other direction. (though that's hope, I'm not sure how likely it is). It's interesting to see how servile so many hn'e…

Fingers crossed.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#143

Post by Cthulhu_ »

brink wrote: post #74

It's only a matter of time until certain unpopular religious expressions begin to be censored outright. For those who aren't concerned about censorship; it must be nice to think that your views will never be controversial.

Some of my views will be controversial, and that's absolutely fine - I am quite happy that my views and opinions won't put me in jail, thanks to our constitution.

That said, with this freedom comes also the freedom of websites like youtube, HN, etc to NOT offer me a platform, if my views are opposed to said platform's morals.

There are plenty of alternative platforms that won't deplatform this stuff. Those platforms are free to band whatever they want as well. Or do you think the conservative platforms should allow anything to be posted as well?

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#144

Post by hef19898 »

SifJar wrote: post #138
hef19898 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You assume that the WHO and others have to be right all the time everytime. And that they changed their minds regarding COVID-19 because of "public" pressure and not because of new insights. Both assumptions are not correct IMHO. The CDC did bow to political authority on COVID-19 measures so. Contrary to science.

> You assume that the WHO and others have to be right all the time everytime. If information is going to be censored based on what they say, they do have to be right all the time. And the point is, they aren't right all the time.

I have a hard time believing they would recommend removing content they aren't sure about.

By the way, Youtube has been banning pornography basically since day one. No outcry about that. Counterpoint, would you accept removing content about abortion and gay marriage rights? If the answer is yes, it indicates that it is not free speech you are worried about.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#145

Post by Cthulhu_ »

bosswipe wrote: post #99

It is important to remember in these censorship discussions that it has never in human history been so easy and cheap to create content seen by millions of people than it is right now. Before the web if you wanted to spread medical misinformation widely you probably needed millions of dollars to promote and distribute your ideas yourself. In that sense you were much more censored in the past than you are today even i…

Yes and no; there were plenty of quacks out there back when, but they could not reach as many people as quickly as today.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#146

Post by [deleted] »

bosswipe wrote: post #99

It is important to remember in these censorship discussions that it has never in human history been so easy and cheap to create content seen by millions of people than it is right now. Before the web if you wanted to spread medical misinformation widely you probably needed millions of dollars to promote and distribute your ideas yourself. In that sense you were much more censored in the past than you are today even i…

[deleted]

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#147

Post by hitchhiker999 »

bosswipe wrote: post #99

It is important to remember in these censorship discussions that it has never in human history been so easy and cheap to create content seen by millions of people than it is right now. Before the web if you wanted to spread medical misinformation widely you probably needed millions of dollars to promote and distribute your ideas yourself. In that sense you were much more censored in the past than you are today even i…

It's also important to remember that we've never had such a powerful, established and fully centralized media.

The tech and the reach they have would give any dictator a chubby.

Power corrupts.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#148

Post by scoutt »

anonymousiam wrote: post #14
ikiris wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[citation needed]

Enter this search on Google and see what you get: "Is hydroxychloroquine effective in treating COVID-19?" Why should there be such a controversy about this issue? It only became political when Trump mentioned it.

Ahhhh the good ol' Google... The source of absolute truth...

By the way, if you make the claim, the burden of proof is on you.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#149

Post by vixen99 »

Cthulhu_ wrote: post #129
brigandish wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More freedom of speech is the answer to misinformation because then it can be challenged. Censorship allows convenient mistruths to spread unchallenged.

This assumes rational, reasonable and good-faith arguments and behaviour though; if there's a thousand voices (pushed by interest groups, foreign governments, advertisers, etc) pushing one narrative, what's a single challenging voice going to do? I mean I can invoke Godwin's Law, but we don't have to go that far back; everybody knew Trump was a terrible person and he should not have been eligible for the presidency,…

'Because of tolerance' etc., - do you actually read and comprehend what you write? And what's this blatantly political message doing on HN?

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#150

Post by [deleted] »

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #128
pzmTWLwfwJ wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't this how science works, you have new information and you use it to make a better decision.

But do you censor the people saying there is a better decision? And do you then censor the people that advocated for the former "better decision" at the time when it was 'current'.

[deleted]
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