The policy change was announced on Friday in a blog post by Discord’s senior platform policy specialist Alex Anderson. The rules are explicitly targeted at Covid-19 misinformation,…
In a nutshell: Following other digital platforms like Reddit and YouTube, Discord has updated its community guidelines with new rules on dangerous medical misinformation. The instant messaging service will prohibit users from posting « misleading health information that is likely to cause physical or societal harm. » The policy change was announced on Friday in a blog post by Discord’s senior platform policy specialist Alex Anderson. The rules are explicitly targeted at Covid-19 misinformation, which has become increasingly prevalent across the web. « Ensuring the accuracy of online health information has never been as important as during the Covid-19 pandemic, » it reads. In the blog, Discord cited specific types of content that would fall under the new rules, including anti-vaccination rhetoric, dangerous cures for diseases, and anything that « could hinder the resolution of a public health emergency. » They stated that health information is misleading if it « directly and unequivocally contradicts the most recent consensus by the medical community.
