YouTube CEO: We’ll Remove Any Content that Goes Against WHO Recommendations

STELTER Streaming video of ░░░░░░░░ is up across the ░░░░░░░░ from Netflix to Hulu ░░░░░░░░ and all the rest ░░░░░░░░ is seeing a big ░░░░░░░░ in views of news ░░░░░░░░ this Bloomberg headline citing ░░░░░░░░ thirst for virus updates ░░░░░░░░ are a lot of ░░░░░░░░ to YouTube Mis and ░░░░░░░░ information is a problem ░░░░░░░░ that platform as well ░░░░░░░░ spoke with YouTube CEO ░░░░░░░░ Wojcicki for her first ░░░░░░░░ since the pandemic really ░░░░░░░░ to spread worldwide about ░░░░░░░░ changes that YouTube has ░░░░░░░░ to address the surge ░░░░░░░░ viewership clip starts WOJCICKI ░░░░░░░░ have served billions of ░░░░░░░░ across our network that ░░░░░░░░ from all the different ░░░░░░░░ health organizations and made ░░░░░░░░ that people understand what ░░░░░░░░ the resources I never ░░░░░░░░ we d have so ░░░░░░░░ videos of handwashing for ░░░░░░░░ But we have we ░░░░░░░░ s just one example ░░░░░░░░ we have served so ░░░░░░░░ different areas to make ░░░░░░░░ that users are getting ░░░░░░░░ right information We have ░░░░░░░░ seen a 75 percent ░░░░░░░░ in the news coming ░░░░░░░░ authoritative sources since the ░░░░░░░░ of 2020 So we ░░░░░░░░ seen a lot of ░░░░░░░░ there But then we ░░░░░░░░ STELTER What does that ░░░░░░░░ That means an increase ░░░░░░░░ video views for those ░░░░░░░░ Yes And so we ░░░░░░░░ about that as raising ░░░░░░░░ information But then we ░░░░░░░░ talk about removing information ░░░░░░░░ is problematic you know ░░░░░░░░ course anything that is ░░░░░░░░ unsubstantiated So people saying ░░░░░░░░ take vitamin C you ░░░░░░░░ take turmeric like those ░░░░░░░░ will cure you Those ░░░░░░░░ the examples of things ░░░░░░░░ would be a violation ░░░░░░░░ our policy Anything that ░░░░░░░░ go against World Health ░░░░░░░░ recommendations would be a ░░░░░░░░ of our policy And ░░░░░░░░ remove is another really ░░░░░░░░ part of our policy ░░░░░░░░ So you re not ░░░░░░░░ putting in the truth ░░░░░░░░ to the lie You ░░░░░░░░ taking the lie down ░░░░░░░░ s a pretty aggressive ░░░░░░░░ WOJCICKI Well I mean ░░░░░░░░ do we do remove ░░░░░░░░ know across YouTube in ░░░░░░░░ pandemic times information that ░░░░░░░░ a violation of our ░░░░░░░░ And we have had ░░░░░░░░ guidelines since the very ░░░░░░░░ of YouTube And we ░░░░░░░░ always anything that is ░░░░░░░░ violation of our policy ░░░░░░░░ do remove it And ░░░░░░░░ was really unique about ░░░░░░░░ was just how fast ░░░░░░░░ the Covid 19 crisis ░░░░░░░░ And so we have ░░░░░░░░ to make numerous policy ░░░░░░░░ all within a really ░░░░░░░░ period of time to ░░░░░░░░ able to make sure ░░░░░░░░ we stayed abreast of ░░░░░░░░ changes So for example ░░░░░░░░ recently there was a ░░░░░░░░ that 5G was causing ░░░░░░░░ symptoms Now no established ░░░░░░░░ organization says that 5G ░░░░░░░░ the source of the ░░░░░░░░ And so that quickly ░░░░░░░░ quickly deemed that a ░░░░░░░░ of our policies with ░░░░░░░░ 19 and removed that ░░░░░░░░ STELTER You know everyone ░░░░░░░░ YouTube is different Are ░░░░░░░░ certain videos that basically ░░░░░░░░ has seen because they ░░░░░░░░ so important or they ░░░░░░░░ from such authoritative sources ░░░░░░░░ Well we definitely saw ░░░░░░░░ really high click through ░░░░░░░░ all the different public ░░░░░░░░ information that we made ░░░░░░░░ But this crisis has ░░░░░░░░ moved so quickly I ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ just the speed of ░░░░░░░░ has taken away everyone ░░░░░░░░ breath in terms of ░░░░░░░░ quickly we moved from ░░░░░░░░ having a few infections ░░░░░░░░ to having large parts ░░░░░░░░ the world being under ░░░░░░░░ And you know we ░░░░░░░░ have seen how our ░░░░░░░░ have changed so first ░░░░░░░░ with just really basic ░░░░░░░░ about what was Coronavirus ░░░░░░░░ we really focused on ░░░░░░░░ stay at home messages ░░░░░░░░ got that And now ░░░░░░░░ interestingly we re seeing ░░░░░░░░ lot of users come ░░░░░░░░ us and want to ░░░░░░░░ about life under quarantine ░░░░░░░░ so we see a ░░░░░░░░ of interesting things like ░░░░░░░░ at home like how ░░░░░░░░ I fix my dishwasher ░░░░░░░░ do I fix my ░░░░░░░░ How do I give ░░░░░░░░ a haircut when I ░░░░░░░░ in quarantine And so ░░░░░░░░ have definitely seen an ░░░░░░░░ across our platform in ░░░░░░░░ these different ways STELTER ░░░░░░░░ you think this crisis ░░░░░░░░ caused YouTube to change ░░░░░░░░ ways that will be ░░░░░░░░ term WOJCICKI Well I ░░░░░░░░ have seen changes I ░░░░░░░░ in many ways we ░░░░░░░░ seen an acceleration of ░░░░░░░░ digital lives STELTER Right ░░░░░░░░ WOJCICKI I mean we ░░░░░░░░ to we used to ░░░░░░░░ movies science fiction movies ░░░░░░░░ we would talk about ░░░░░░░░ going to school in ░░░░░░░░ future where they would ░░░░░░░░ on screens and they ░░░░░░░░ be going to a ░░░░░░░░ that wasn t really ░░░░░░░░ their neighborhood And that ░░░░░░░░ like science fiction And ░░░░░░░░ we have all of ░░░░░░░░ kids or so many ░░░░░░░░ them are have some ░░░░░░░░ of digital school program ░░░░░░░░ because schools are closed ░░░░░░░░ And so that is ░░░░░░░░ an acceleration And I ░░░░░░░░ with public health we ░░░░░░░░ would have gotten there ░░░░░░░░ a couple of years ░░░░░░░░ certainly it s been ░░░░░░░░ big acceleration of realizing ░░░░░░░░ important need of working ░░░░░░░░ established public health organizations ░░░░░░░░ get the right information ░░░░░░░░ to users and we ░░░░░░░░ seeing that opportunity clip ░░░░░░░░ STELTER You can hear ░░░░░░░░ extended conversation with YouTube ░░░░░░░░ Susan Wojcicki at the ░░░░░░░░ SOURCES podcast through Apple ░░░░░░░░ Spotify wherever you find ░░░░░░░░ podcasts We have a ░░░░░░░░ conversation about misinformation the ░░░░░░░░ of YouTube the future ░░░░░░░░ YouTube and all the ░░░░░░░░