Sky News Australia was banned from uploading YouTube content for seven days. This is after it violated its medical misinformation policies and posted numerous videos that denied the existence or encouraged people using hydroxychloroquine.The digital giant imposed the ban on Thursday afternoon. This was the same day that Alan Jones' column was ended by the Daily Telegraph amid controversy over his Covid-19 commentary, which included calling Kerry Chant, New South Wales chief medical officer, a village idiot on his Sky News show.Guardian Australia was informed by News Corp that the end of Jones' column does not mean the company no longer supports the compelling broadcaster.YouTube did not reveal the Sky News channel from which the videos were taken, but stated that there were many offending videos that have since been removed.Sky News Australia YouTube channel has 1.85m subscribers. It has been placed on strike and temporarily stopped from uploading videos or livestreams.Sky News' revenue stream from Google will be affected by the ban. This was after News Corp had signed a multi-year, historic partnership with Google under the media bargaining codes in February.This shocking indictment of our media and political landscape is that an extremist, conspiratorial and racist news channel is still accepted and normal. Skys is over. https://t.co/kw6TigECV2 Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) August 1, 2021Sky also launched Sky News Regional, a new regional free-to-air channel in Australia on the same day that the strike was announced.All Sky After Dark commentators are available on the channel, including Jones and Peta Credlin, Andrew Bolt, Jones, and Jones. There is also a three-hour breakfast show.Videos posted before Thursday that didn't violate policies are still available. YouTube will permanently remove a channel if it receives three strikes within the same 90-day period.A YouTube spokesperson stated that Covid-19 has established clear policies to combat misinformation about medical care. These policies are based on guidance from local and international health authorities. This is in order to stop the spread of misinformation that could lead to real-world harm.We apply our policies equally to everyone, regardless of uploader. In accordance with these policies, we removed videos and issued a strike for Sky News Australias channel.We don't allow any content that denies or encourages the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin for the treatment or prevention of Covid-19. Videos that provide sufficient countervailing context are allowed, but not the videos in violation.YouTube's swift and decisive response is quite different from the responses of local media regulators.Astra and the Australian Communications and Media Authority were not notified of Joness Covid's broadcast on Monday.Guardian Australia was informed by a spokesperson that Acma is aware about the broadcasts and any concerns. We will now wait to see how complaints are dealt with by the broadcaster in the co-regulatory system.Skys YouTube channel has seen a growth of 70,000 subscribers to 1.85m in just two years. This is more than ABC News and any other local media company.Joness Australians Must Know the Truth About the Pandemic Virus. This video was uploaded at the peak of the pandemic.Sky News had to apologize for an interview they did with Jones and Craig Kelly on 19 July. They claimed that the Delta variant was not dangerous and that vaccines wouldn't work. Sky News published a long apology on their website.Sky News is a major platform on YouTube. The more extreme videos are, the more people will be interested in them.Jones, 80, praised his platform's success earlier this week, after he was dismissed by the Daily Telegraph.Take a look at Sky News YouTube and Sky News Facebook to see what Jones said to his viewers. My Facebook page features the same column I wrote for Tele.It is possible for the public to verify it. Threety-five year's experience at the top of the radio, and it doesn't resonate with the general public? Sincerely.Google and News Corp signed a deal that paid for journalism on news sites all over the globe, including Sky News Australia.Sky News Australia spokesperson stated that they support wide discussion and debate on a broad range of topics and perspectives, which is essential to democracy.We are committed to meeting the editorial and community expectations.YouTube initially responded to media inquiries by denying COVID-19 policies, but later removed that reference from future media statements.Sky News Australia strongly rejects the notion that any host would deny the existence of COVID-19, as implied. No such videos were ever published.
