YouTube Toughens Rules for QAnon Conspiracy Content

YouTube said it had previously removed "tens of thousands of QAnon videos" and terminated some channels used by the movement.

By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 16 October 2020 10:49 IST

YouTube Toughens Rules for QAnon Conspiracy Content

The latest move by YouTube comes amid heightened tensions over misinformation spreading on social media

Highlights

YouTube said it was expanding its policies on hate and harassment
Facebook banned QAnon-linked accounts on its core network & on Instagram
Twitter began a crackdown on QAnon earlier this year

YouTube said Thursday it was tightening rules for propagation of conspiracy theories, notably targeting the QAnon movement already limited on Twitter and Facebook.

The Google-owned video-sharing service said it was expanding its policies on hate and harassment "to prohibit content that targets an individual or group with conspiracy theories that have been used to justify real-world violence."

This could mean removing videos threatening or harassing people by suggesting they are complicit in a conspiracy like Pizzagate, about a supposed child sex trafficking ring with links to former Democratic White House candidate Hillary Clinton that operated from a Washington pizzeria.

Facebook, Twitter Flounder in QAnon Crackdown

QAnon has grown sharply during the pandemic because it acted as a binding force, mixing its core tenet of anti-Semitic and white supremacist tropes with long-running conspiracy theories about vaccines and 5G mobile technology, as well as far-right and libertarian politics.

YouTube said it had previously removed "tens of thousands of QAnon videos" and terminated some channels used by the movement, notably those that explicitly threaten violence or deny the existence of major violent events.

Earlier this month Facebook banned QAnon-linked accounts on its core social network and on Instagram. Twitter began a crackdown on QAnon earlier this year.

Facebook Removes Accounts of 17-Year-Old Arrested Over US Shootings

The latest move by YouTube comes amid heightened tensions over misinformation spreading on social media, while some conservatives have accused platforms of bias in taking down content.

Is OnePlus 8T the best 'value flagship' of 2020? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.