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| YouTube wants new measures to combat misinformation |
YouTube wants to take more steps to combat misinformation on its platform. According to product manager Neil Mohan, the planned changes include an update detailing the ability to share videos with seamless content.
The hard part is categorizing statements that do not fall under the free speech barriers but are considered inappropriate in the public debate.
The change represents a major shift in the platform, although it is unclear if the company will take such a step.
Mohan described the possibility in a blog post, explaining the company's approach to preventing the spread of misinformation. He noted that managing so-called sensitive content — videos that don't violate removal policies but platforms that don't want to recommend them — can be particularly difficult to manage.
The difficulty is related to YouTube's desire to remove these clips from its recommendations. But it can still go viral if it is shared on other platforms.
The platform overhauled its recommendation system to reduce consumption of sensitive content. But even if you don't recommend a particularly complex video, it can still get views from other sites that link or embed YouTube videos.
Mohan wrote that one possible solution to this problem is to disable the share buttons or link errors for videos, which we limit in recommendations. This means that you cannot embed or link scam videos from other websites.
Mohan added that the company is still studying whether to take this more aggressive approach. "We are trying to see if the message ban goes too far in limiting the freedom of viewers," he said.
Another method, he explained, is to insert an interstitial ad before viewers see the embedded or linked clip to let them know that the content may contain false information.
YouTube wants to take action against misinformation
When YouTube blocks the sharing of certain videos, it's a big step for the platform, which has repeatedly cited statistics showing less than 1% of views for its fraudulent content come from recommendations.
However, critics point out that this does not completely solve the problem. Fact-checkers and researchers in the field of disinformation point to YouTube as an important channel for disinformation.
Last month, 80 fact-checking agencies signed an open letter to the video platform. The letter urged the platform to do more to stop misleading and harmful information.
YouTube executives have hinted at more changes. If there is no reliable development information, the company is considering adding other types of tags to search results.
The company also hopes to strengthen its partnerships with experts and NGOs around the world. In addition to investing in technology to spot local misinformation, you should also have the ability to support local languages.