Right-wing YouTube channel suspended for spreading misinformation on COVID-19

Kang Yong-suk and Kim Se-ui speak in a video uploaded on "Hoverlab," a far-right YouTube channel suspended for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19. / Screenshot from Hoverlab's YouTube channel

By Lee Hae-rin

YouTube issued a suspension for "Hoverlab," a far-right YouTube channel here, for violating the platform's COVID-19 medical misinformation policy.

Kang Yong-suk, a TV personality and lawyer who runs the channel, said via his personal YouTube channel, Thursday, that Hoverlab received a one-week suspension from uploading and streaming videos for violating YouTube's medical misinformation rule.

The channel uploaded a video on Jan. 12, in which Kang and Kim Se-ui, a former journalist from local broadcaster MBC, said, "Omicron is like the flu and enforcing the vaccine pass to prevent the virus spread seems too much."

They also said, "Some say that getting vaccinated is even more dangerous (than the virus itself)." The video was removed by YouTube.

The far-right channel, with over 834,000 subscribers, has received criticism for spreading false information and exposing the personal details of local celebrities and politicians.

According to YouTube's COVID-19 medical misinformation policy, the platform forbids content which "spreads medical misinformation that contradicts local health authorities' or the World Health Organization's medical information about COVID-19."

YouTube also permanently removes any content that violates the policy and sends a warning to the uploader by email. Channels that receive three violations within 90 days are shut down permanently. This is Hoverlab's first warning from the platform.

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