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YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

reuters.com

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Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#371

Post by Udo »

It's a patch a best, and I wager many people here see the side effects already on the horizon: faulty algorithms tagging actual information as misinformation, news organizations continuing to skid by while spewing misleading claims, videos and channels deleted without recourse.

All of this is painful. Youtube's ineptitude specifically has been painful to content creators in the past. Censorship of a "public" forum is always immensely painful, and heavy handed attempts by Mega Corporations at controlling public discourse always feel dystopian.

The most painful aspect of it all is that I have come to personally agree with these measures, purely as an immediate firefighting response.

But this is not a solution. As a society, our mental immune system is weak against disinformation and even the most obvious unscientific propaganda. These traits are even welcomed by the powerful in other contexts, that's why it's such a big deal that the people who started those fires are so closely related to those putting them out right now.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#372

Post by sasavilic »

owlbynight wrote: post #174

I'll preface this by stating that I hate the idea of censorship and I always have. However, were I to happen across someone motionless on the floor with a needle in their arm, I would give them NARCAN instead of a ride to a rehab center. I'm from the United States. Social media is currently poisoning our country to a degree that I think it may be too late to try and draw out the fight for free speech by using free sp…

The problem with censorship is that it "proves" that there is a "conspiracy" and it is like putting gas on a fire. I know this from people around me who believe in that stuff. If something is taken offline, than that "damn mainstream media is trying to hide a truth".

EDIT: IMHO, it would be much better option to flag/warn that video as misleading and provide link to resources with correct information.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#373

Post by thinkingemote »

alexandr1us wrote: post #179

So happy to see that most HN users aren't pro censorship CCP bullshit. Thank you for your existence you are good people

Given the time right now, silicon valley hasn't woken up yet. It's currently mostly Europeans here who have a deeper connection to authoritarian history.

Once the Americans get here, expect to see more support or at the very least the tired "actually this is a company therefore it's not censorship"

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#374

Post by refurb »

owlbynight wrote: post #174

I'll preface this by stating that I hate the idea of censorship and I always have. However, were I to happen across someone motionless on the floor with a needle in their arm, I would give them NARCAN instead of a ride to a rehab center. I'm from the United States. Social media is currently poisoning our country to a degree that I think it may be too late to try and draw out the fight for free speech by using free sp…

Social media is currently poisoning our country

Poisoning how? Can you be specific? What impact are we seeing outside of social media that can be directly attributable to what happens online?

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#375

Post by blub »

j8hn wrote: post #210
nso95 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They lied because they didn't want medical professionals to run out of masks

For a while I assumed they lied as well. Now, looking back I'm not so sure. There really wasn't much scientific evidence of masks being effective for respiratory diseases.

No, they pretty much lied. The CDC was for example recommending n95 usage for medical personnel and surgical masks for infected people during the first SARS outbreak.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#376

Post by thinkingemote »

zxcvbn4038 wrote: post #223

I am betting that all of the recent censorship by Google, Facebook, and Twitter is a thin attempt to ward off the anti-trust actions that the US wants to impose on the big tech companies. There is false information out there - that is nothing new - but we're in the territory where we are censoring opinions, viewpoints, and non-predominant theory. Is light a particle or wave? Ban everyone who believes X, they are fool…

Agreed it's a move to stop the threatened anti monopoly actions

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#377

Post by raxxorrax »

wolco2 wrote: post #152
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.

This is how the politics of science can works. Masks may run out is the fear. Do not be honest and tell everyone they don't work. Masks are restocked, force everyone to wear a mask.

There is nothing scientific on the politics of science then. With that strategy you will have less and less people listening to you, because a subset will always find out you have lied.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#378

Post by gadders »

owlbynight wrote: post #174

I'll preface this by stating that I hate the idea of censorship and I always have. However, were I to happen across someone motionless on the floor with a needle in their arm, I would give them NARCAN instead of a ride to a rehab center. I'm from the United States. Social media is currently poisoning our country to a degree that I think it may be too late to try and draw out the fight for free speech by using free sp…

Once you give people the power to censor things, you can't assume that the people with that power will act in good faith forever, even if they do currently. Would you want to give that power to your political opponents? If not it's better than nobody have that power.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#379

Post by refurb »

keiferski wrote: post #236
owlbynight wrote: post #174

I'll preface this by stating that I hate the idea of censorship and I always have. However, were I to happen across someone motionless on the floor with a needle in their arm, I would give them NARCAN instead of a ride to a rehab center. I'm from the United States. Social media is currently poisoning our country to a degree that I think it may be too late to try and draw out the fight for free speech by using free sp…

The solution is decentralized, verifiable forms of authority. Not unelected, unaccountable corporations that selectively (and with repeated obvious bias) choose what is “true.” Especially not YouTube, of all places, who has about as much authority as McDonalds, as far as I’m concerned. That’s it. No attempt to have a single source of authoritative information is going to work post-Internet. The cat is already out of…

This has to be one of the most frightening proposals I’ve seen.

How would this body be formed? What body currently exists that is completely unbiased?

There have been numerous examples of Western gov’ts outright lying to the more citizens, often for decades. That would be the official truth, with any dissenting opinions deemed “illegal”.

This literally sounds like 1984 and the Ministry of Truth.

Edit: replied to subcomment, not parent comment, very regrettable.

Re: YouTube bans coronavirus vaccine misinformation

#380

Post by jstanley »

dtech wrote: post #321
jstanley wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can use this argument to say nothing should ever be forbidden/punished to say ever. Yes!

Ok, so everyone should be allowed to broadcast, promote and advertise: "all white people are inherently evil and criminal and should all be exterminated, go out and shoot every and kill every white person you see!"?

In my view: yes. You can say whatever you want, and if you say stupid things people will think you are stupid.
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