YouTube to ramp up crackdown on misinformed abortion videos

YouTube will begin removing misleading videos about abortion in response to false information being spread about the procedure that is currently being banned/restricted across a number of US states, explains an AP report.

The move announced Thursday by the Google-owned video site comes about a month after the US Supreme Court overturned the highly-controversial Roe v. Wade case— one that had protected the legality of abortion in the country for nearly 50 years.

YouTube explained that its crackdown would expunge content promoting unsafe at-home abortions, as well as misinformation about the safety of undergoing the procedure in clinics located in states where it remains legal. This purge of misleading abortion videos will be ramped up over the next few weeks, according to the media giant.

The Supreme Court's reversal of the Roe v. Wade case has also increased pressure on technology companies to take steps to ensure that their devices and digital services will not be used to shadow women seeking abortions, or steer them in directions that could threaten their health.

Earlier this month, Google announced that it would automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics, or other such places, that could trigger legal problems in light of the Supreme Court's ruling.

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