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YouTube gives more users the power to call out fake news and misinformation
- The YouTube notes feature is similar to Twitter’s Community Notes; it allows users to call out misinformation on the platform.
- Google started testing this tool in June, and it’s now inviting more users to fact-check its videos.
- Once a third-party evaluator approves a user’s note, YouTube viewers get to rate it as helpful or not.
A couple of months ago, Google started experimenting with YouTube notes. Similar to Twitter’s Community Notes, the fact-checking feature is designed to call out misinformation in videos posted on the platform. To amplify the tool’s effectiveness, YouTube is now inviting more users to leave notes on videos they watch.
According to multiple Tweets (1, 2, 3), YouTube has been inviting more viewers to leave notes on its platform. When an eligible user submits one, YouTube forwards it to a third-party evaluator. If approved, the note will then appear under the relevant video — whether it’s a well-produced YouTube documentary or five minutes of nonsense.
Just like Twitter’s Community Notes feature, viewers can also rate visible notes on YouTube following the evaluator’s approval. They get to mark them as helpful, somewhat helpful, or unhelpful and leave a comment justifying their choice.
Once you’re eligible to submit notes, the company should notify you via email. Some of the eligibility criteria include having an active channel that follows YouTube’s guidelines, being a US-based mobile user, and having the language set to English. The invite reads:
We’re inviting you to pilot a new YouTube feature that allows you to add helpful notes to videos. These notes will provide additional information and create a better-informed YouTube community.How this works: When you find a video that might be confusing or inaccurate, you can submit a note clarifying it. Your contributions will be reviewed by others with a wide range of views to ensure their quality and helpfulness before being added to the information panel below the video. Together, we can make YouTube even more helpful for everyone.
Given the widespread misinformation in this era, YouTube notes are certainly a welcome addition to the platform. While the feature may not completely eliminate videos highlighting fake news, it at least calls them out and informs the viewers. After all, many folks blindly believe anything they read or watch on the internet, and these notes should at least offer them some guidance.