Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Covid-19: YouTube launches vaccination ad campaign

Covid-19: YouTube launches vaccination ad campaign

YouTube has launched a multi-million-pound advertising campaign to encourage young people in the UK to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

It said the partnership with the NHS would involve ads on buses, billboards, bus stops and YouTube, with the video-sharing site paying for them.

YouTube has been criticised for being slow to stop the spread of coronavirus disinformation.

But it said it had removed 900,000 Covid-19 videos that broke its rules.

The campaign will feature the slogan Let's Not Go Back and will show group activities and events - such as concerts - that will be possible again after the pandemic.

YouTube's UK managing director, Ben McOwen Wilson, said he wanted to avoid "vaccine ambivalence" among young people as life starts to return to normal over the summer.

He said the video-sharing platform had "huge reach" among under-35s and could communicate with young people in a way that was light-hearted and not preaching.

YouTube said the campaign would be 'light-hearted'

In October, YouTube changed its policy to ban misleading claims about the coronavirus vaccine.

However, it faced continued criticism about the spread of disinformation.

In March, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) released a report, stating: "Anti-vaccine activists on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter reach more than 59 million followers, making these the largest and most important social-media platforms for anti-vaxxers."

Mr McOwen Wilson said the coronavirus pandemic had "moved rapidly" and that YouTube had regularly reviewed its policies, working with information partners such as the NHS and World Health Organization.

He said the platform had removed 900,000 videos that broke its rules on coronavirus misinformation and said banners linking to authoritative sources of information had been clicked 500 billion times.

Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England, said: "It is great to have support from platforms such as YouTube, to reassure people that the vaccine is safe, simple and effective.

"I urge everyone to book in for a vaccine when you are eligible."


YouTube was typically ahead of the curve when it came to introducing policies to tackle harmful anti-vaccine content.

And this marks another new - and critics would argue much-needed - initiative.

Young people are more active users of social-media sites and as a consequence are more likely to be exposed to conspiracies and falsehoods online.

I have investigated the impact of anti-vaccine content online for months, and there is no doubt that the very conspiracies that may have heightened vaccine hesitancy among young people have spread on sites such as YouTube.

Several popular influential users promoting harmful falsehoods about vaccines have cultivated their followings on YouTube over the past year - and the site has come under fire for only recently acting on those accounts.

The conspiracies they have spread, including about fertility, have often been aimed directly at younger women in a bid to put them off the jab.

While a campaign like this might reiterate the science of vaccines and value of collective immunisation, it may struggle to undo the damage done by emotive anti-vaccine propaganda to which younger social-media users have been hyper-exposed.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
×