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- YouTube and other tech platforms have been battling coronavirus misinformation on their platforms, often banning posts that come from unofficial sources and stopping ads that capitalize on the crisis.
- But some advertisers are finding ways around YouTube's ban, using vague language to sell fake cures, supplements, or face masks.
- Business Insider has seen several instances on ads that avoid "red flag" words but hint at the pandemic.
- YouTube is relying on a mixture of AI and human moderators to catch videos and ads that break the rules.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
As part of Google's fight against misinformation around COVID-19, YouTube is swatting down adverts that try to capitalize on the pandemic to sell things - but creative ad makers are findings ways around it.
As of right now, ads trying to cash in on the coronavirus by selling products like face masks, or presenting potentially misleading information, won't be allowed to run on videos.
But Business Insider has found instances of ads that have managed to get around these obstacle by avoiding obvious "red flag" words.
For instance, Business Insider spotted an ad for Organifi "superfood" powder that implied its product could help fight against COVID-19.
"There's a lot of fear in the streets," a man in the ad, which appeared before a news briefing about the coronavirus, tells viewers. "This thing we don't have a lot of information on is scaring a lot of people, so let's talk about some ways to increase your immune system and to help you ward off anything that could come into your life potentially."
The advertisement makes clear nods to the pandemic without using words such as "COVID-19" or "coronavirus," which would be red flags for YouTube's moderation systems.
After Business Insider flagged the video to YouTube, a YouTube spokesperson said it had taken the video down. However, the next day the very same ad played before an instructional video on making a DIY face mask. We flagged it again, and YouTube said it had taken the ad down, again.
In another ad from the same company, seen this week, the same person describes scenes of people fighting over bags of rice in his local store, telling viewers, "It's getting real."
Meanwhile an ad from apparel brand 5.11 Tactical depicts scenes of global panic, telling the viewer, "If you find yourself in chaos and need to get out quick, you need a go bag." Again, the ad vaguely hints at the current global pandemic without direct reference.
YouTube announced in a blog post last month that it would lean more heavily on AI systems to flag inappropriate videos, pulling back on its human workforce.
The way YouTube moderates videos differs to how it moderates ads, but both rely on a mix of AI and human review, and the workforce for ad moderation has been impacted by more moderators, who are frequently contractors, having to work from home.
"We have strict ad policies and prohibit ads that make misleading health claims about prevention or cures," a spokesperson for Google, which owns YouTube, told Business insider. "As the Covid situation continues to evolve, we are committed to protecting users and have removed millions of ads attempting to capitalize on the situation."
A spokesperson added that YouTube has a dedicated taskforce working on coronavirus-related ads, but with more employees working from home, the process to catch offending ads has slowed down. YouTube is also working on new AI systems to combat ads that capitalize on the pandemic using less obvious language - such as the above examples - but these are still being trained.
YouTube also recently changed its monetization policy for videos mentioning the coronavirus. While it initially banned any video with more than "a passing mention" of the virus from monetizing with ads, it has since allowed certain news partners and a limited number of creators who "self-certify" to monetize these videos again.
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