YouTube is blocking channels that promote anti-vaccination content from running ads, asserting they violate policy prohibiting advertisements with videos containing "dangerous and harmful" content.
BuzzFeed News first reported the move, noting a number of ads for companies selling health-related items slipped through YouTube's system and were allowed to play during videos on channels that promote anti-vax agendas.
One of the videos allowed to show ads was "Mom Researches Vaccines, Discovers Vaccination Horrors and Goes Vaccine Free," Buzzfeed reported.
"We have strict policies that govern what videos we allow ads to appear on, and videos that promote anti-vaccination content have been and remain a violation of our longstanding harmful or dangerous advertising policy," the video-sharing site said in a statement to USA Today.
"We enforce these policies vigorously, and if we find a video that violates them we immediately take action and remove ads."
Some parents opt not to vaccinate because of the discredited belief that vaccines are linked to autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is no such link and there are no ingredients in vaccines that could cause autism.
According to USA Today, Facebook is also considering making anti-vaccination content less visible on its platform, quoting a statement from the social media platform that it is working with experts "on additional changes that we'll be announcing soon."
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