Google scrubs coronavirus misinformation on search, YouTube
- The company is trying to quickly remove videos on YouTube claiming to prevent the virus in place of seeking medical treatment
- Some apps related to the virus have also been banned from the Google Play app store for Android device users
On February 28, questions about the coronavirus swirled around Google’s offices. The company was being criticised for YouTube’s handling of hoax videos, a major company conference was cancelled and an employee in Zurich tested positive.
In the midst of this, chief executive Sundar Pichai sent a memo reminding thousands of his workers about Google’s important role as a provider of timely and accurate information in uncertain times. “You’ve heard me talk about helpfulness in the context of moments big and small. This is one of those big moments,” he wrote.
Since Covid-19 began to spread, Google has aggressively intervened in some of its most popular online services to limit the spread of misinformation. This is a departure for a company that has relied heavily on software and automation to index and rank information throughout its 22-year existence.
Google searches related to the virus now trigger an “SOS Alert”, with news from mainstream publications including National Public Radio, followed by information from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation displayed prominently. In contrast, a recent search for “flu season” showed the website verywellhealth.com at the top, while another search for “flu” produced tweets, including one from US President Donald Trump comparing coronavirus to the common flu.
The coronavirus has killed more than 3,900 people out of 113,000 confirmed cases. Online platforms have been inundated with rumours and misinformed concerns about the pathogen as it spread west from Asia, particularly in floods of messages on Twitter, according to Carl Bergstrom, a professor at the University of Washington. Google is swept up in this because it has a deal with Twitter to show tweets in search results, especially for queries about live and recent events. “It’s really just a churning mess right now,” Bergstrom said.
On YouTube, Google’s video service, the company is trying to quickly remove videos claiming to prevent the virus in place of seeking medical treatment. And some apps related to the virus have been banned from the Google Play app store, prompting complaints from developers who said they just want to help. An Iranian government app built to keep track of infections was also removed from the Play Store, ZDNet reported.