YouTube suspends and demonetizes OANN over ‘fake’ coronavirus cure

YouTube has suspended and demonetized OANN for reporting on a drug that it says is a ‘fake cure’ for the coronavirus:

NBC BOSTON – YouTube on Tuesday barred One America News Network from posting new videos and livestreaming for one week, after the right-leaning media organization uploaded a fake cure for the coronavirus.

“After careful review, we removed a video from OANN and issued a strike on the channel for violating our COVID-19 misinformation policy, which prohibits content claiming there’s a guaranteed cure,” a YouTube spokesperson told CNBC. “Additionally, due to repeated violations of our Covid-19 misinformation policy and other channel monetization policies, we’ve suspended the channel from the YouTube Partner Program and as a result, its monetization on YouTube.

It was unclear what specifically OANN’s video said about a Covid-19 cure that made YouTube decide to suspend the channel.

The organization will have to reapply to YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP) if it wants the ability to make money off of its existing content again. YPP is YouTube’s program that connects large channels on the platform with advertisers. YouTube said broadly that companies will only be readmitted after they’ve fixed the issues that led to suspension.

Here’s the video that OANN posted back in August of this year on Ivermectin:

They reported on a drug that doctors in Australia were having major success with. So what?

It’s not like I can just go and prescribe myself Ivermectin if I want it. Only my doctor can prescribe it, so what’s the harm in OANN doing a legitimate report on it?

Yes it’s true that NIH doesn’t recommend it, and you can read about that here. But why does that mean that OANN should be punished for doing a report on it? If doctors don’t like it they don’t have to use it!

Google is becoming more and more totalitarian by the day.


Comment Policy: Please read our comment policy before making a comment. In short, please be respectful of others and do not engage in personal attacks. Otherwise we will revoke your comment privileges.