YouTube is removing videos that spread misinformation about abortion and whose content it deems unsafe for viewers, the platform announced Thursday through its corporate social networks.

“We will remove content that provides instructions about unsafe abortion methods or makes false claims about the safety of abortion.”wrote their company on Twitter, claiming that they are based on recommendations published by medical authorities.

In this line, YouTube has ensured that they prioritize connecting their users to “authorized health sources”, for which they show a tab attached to the abortion content, which displays definitions taken from the National Library of Medicine.

This type of panel contains a link and instructions to “consult your local medical authority” and get “advice” in this regard.

The initiative, which YouTube will implement in the coming weeks, comes after Google, the platform’s parent company, came under fire from a group of lawmakers for prioritizing abortion news in the browser for the first time.

According to the allegations, search engine optimization (SEO) tools redirect those who search Google to clinics to delay the gestation process to crisis pregnancy centers (as opposed to abortion).

The company announced earlier this month that after the Roe versus Wade decision that protected abortion rights in the US is overturned, it will work to quickly delete the location history of people who go to abortion clinics.

Recently, there has been constant controversy regarding the distribution of false, misleading or manipulative content through YouTube.

The platform has already used similar restrictive procedures in the background of such extraordinary events as the Covid-19 pandemic or various electoral processes with a high degree of social polarization.

However, it’s not until now that YouTube has said that any content that promotes misinformation will be removed outright.

(with information from EFE)

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