YouTube says it will start removing misinformation about abortion

YouTube on Thursday said it will begin removing content that spreads misinformation about abortion safety or gives instructions for unsafe abortion procedures.

The social media and video sharing platform will also launch an information panel it will attach to videos to provide context about abortions from local and global health authorities on videos discussing abortion.

In a Twitter thread, YouTube’s press account said the company relies “on published guidance from health authorities” as users upload videos and discuss abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling last month that overturned the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion.

“We prioritize connecting people to content from authoritative sources on health topics, and we continuously review our policies & products as real world events unfold,” the company wrote.

YouTube already has misinformation policies in place for COVID-19, elections and vaccines as it seeks to curb the spread of harmful content and disinformation.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, around half of all states have sought to ban or severely restrict access to abortion.

The restrictions have led to fears that people may turn to more dangerous ways to terminate pregnancies.

Posts on TikTok and other social media platforms have spread information about toxic herbs posters say could end pregnancies, with medical professionals saying they have seen an increase in such posts since Roe was overturned, according to Bloomberg.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention runs a webpage with information about reproductive health.