AMERICA—YouTube is under fire by many after removing a video of 2 doctors suggesting the nation ends its lockdowns in response to COVID-19.
YouTube continues to be criticized for their removal of videos pertaining to the questioning the lockdowns in response to the coronavirus scare. As Canyon News previously reported, YouTube took down a video where two doctors from Bakersfield, Drs. Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi, who run a private urgent-care clinic, voiced their thoughts on lockdowns in the United States and how they are actually doing more harm than helping.
According to YouTube, the video was removed because it violated their user policy by disputing health officials. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has stated that the social media platform will not allow anything that would go against World Health Organization recommendations, as it would be a violation of their policy. However, many are wondering if this is a violation of freedom of speech as WHO has been changing their recommendations often recently, such as in January when WHO informed the public that coronavirus could not spread from person-to-person, although now it is known that it can in fact spread person to person. WHO also mentioned in March that face masks were not necessary unless you were already ill; now WHO has recommended everyone wear a mask, whether you are sick or not.
Amongst those slamming YouTube, and the government in general, is Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. Musk, 48, had shared the video of the doctors on his Twitter account before it was deleted. Musk has since then tweeted ‘Free America Now’, referring to removing stay home orders.
In the video, the doctors both speculate that COVID-19’s mortality rate is much lower than originally believed to be and that it has a case fatality rate as low as 0.03 percent, roughly one-third of the mortality rate of the common flu. The duo also share claims from colleagues in hospitals that there is pressure to add COVID-19 as a cause of death to unrelated fatalities to artificially boost the death toll. However, many suspect that the doctors may have financial motives for stating these claims, as their business, Accelerated Urgent Care, may be losing foot traffic due to the lockdowns.
Other social media platforms also coming under fire for censoring posts include Facebook and Twitter, due to removing posts that they say contain health misinformation or encouraging others to break stay-at-home orders. Some states have begun easing their stay-at-home orders, while many that have not begun the process has had many people protesting the lockdown restrictions by taking to the streets.
