Coronavirus conspiracy theories continue to spread on Facebook and other social networks.
Image by Pixabay/Illustration by CNET
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.
Facebook, YouTube and other social networks are struggling to remove a viral video that includes various conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic, highlighting the challenges that come with moderating dangerous content online.
The nearly 26-minute video is part of a series of clips being released ahead of a documentary called Plandemic that the filmmakers say "will expose the scientific and political elite who run the scam that is our global health system." It includes claims that have been debunked and makes other allegations without evidence.
Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube are taking steps to remove the video or reduce its spread, the companies said. But despite these efforts, Plandemic videos continue to pop up. Some Facebook users were sharing the video in public groups but linking to other sites that aren't as well known as YouTube, or to the documentary's website.
Two simple searches on YouTube on Friday morning found nine copies of the video, with a combined 295,000 views. After CNET contacted YouTube with links to the copies, all but one were removed for violating community guidelines.
Of the nine copies, the one that remained up is a reaction video, underscoring the complications platforms like YouTube face moderating posts that contain conspiracy theories. YouTube's policies allow some videos citing conspiracy theories to remain up if the purpose of the clips is to debunk misinformation. But this reaction video replays the Plandemic video virtually in full, adding commentary that fails to clearly debunk the claims. However, at 42 minutes long, verifying that this kind of video violates YouTube's policies is more nuanced than simply identifying a cut-and-dried copy.
The original video features Judy Mikovits, a controversial former medical researcher who repeats conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic, including the idea wearing a mask could make you sick because it could expose you to your own "reactivated coronavirus expressions." Mikovits' comments conflict with advice from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says everyone should wear a face cover to protect others in case you're infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
"Suggesting that wearing a mask can make you sick could lead to imminent harm, so we're removing the video," a Facebook spokesperson said in a
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter struggle with viral Plandemic conspiracy video
by Nereida Broadus (2024-07-15)
id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body">Coronavirus conspiracy theories continue to spread on Facebook and other social networks.
Image by Pixabay/Illustration by CNET
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.
Facebook, YouTube and other social networks are struggling to remove a viral video that includes various conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic, highlighting the challenges that come with moderating dangerous content online.
The nearly 26-minute video is part of a series of clips being released ahead of a documentary called Plandemic that the filmmakers say "will expose the scientific and political elite who run the scam that is our global health system." It includes claims that have been debunked and makes other allegations without evidence.
Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube are taking steps to remove the video or reduce its spread, the companies said. But despite these efforts, Plandemic videos continue to pop up. Some Facebook users were sharing the video in public groups but linking to other sites that aren't as well known as YouTube, or to the documentary's website.
Two simple searches on YouTube on Friday morning found nine copies of the video, with a combined 295,000 views. After CNET contacted YouTube with links to the copies, all but one were removed for violating community guidelines.
Of the nine copies, the one that remained up is a reaction video, underscoring the complications platforms like YouTube face moderating posts that contain conspiracy theories. YouTube's policies allow some videos citing conspiracy theories to remain up if the purpose of the clips is to debunk misinformation. But this reaction video replays the Plandemic video virtually in full, adding commentary that fails to clearly debunk the claims. However, at 42 minutes long, verifying that this kind of video violates YouTube's policies is more nuanced than simply identifying a cut-and-dried copy.
The original video features Judy Mikovits, a controversial former medical researcher who repeats conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic, including the idea wearing a mask could make you sick because it could expose you to your own "reactivated coronavirus expressions." Mikovits' comments conflict with advice from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says everyone should wear a face cover to protect others in case you're infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
"Suggesting that wearing a mask can make you sick could lead to imminent harm, so we're removing the video," a Facebook spokesperson said in a