homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Youtube will show fact checking for sensitive topics like vaccination

Youtube will start showing “information boxes” — brief fact-checking bits that debunk some of the most common and dangerous scientific misconceptions. In some areas, Youtube is already showing this type of box for conspiracy theories; now, it will be expanding it to other types of sensitive topics like vaccination. The feature is currently available in India, […]

Mihai Andrei
March 11, 2019 @ 7:46 pm

share Share

Youtube will start showing “information boxes” — brief fact-checking bits that debunk some of the most common and dangerous scientific misconceptions. In some areas, Youtube is already showing this type of box for conspiracy theories; now, it will be expanding it to other types of sensitive topics like vaccination.

Example of Youtube’s new feature in action. Note the snippet below the video.

The feature is currently available in India, one of Youtube’s largest markets with over 250 million users. Millions of people in India are gaining access to the internet for the first time — this, coupled with cheap data plans, have brought forth an explosion in video streaming. People are more prone to rely on video streaming instead of reading or using other social media, using Youtube as a search engine and binging everything they come across.

The video explosion has brought forth an explosion of disinformation. In the US, Youtube now shows Wikipedia excerpts next to conspiracy theory videos — a necessary step, but still a small step in the grand scheme of things. Now, the Google-owned video giant wants to take another small step and include fact-checking boxes next to misleading videos on sensitive topics.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to build a better news experience on YouTube, we are expanding our information panels to bring fact checks from eligible publishers to YouTube,” a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

Example of Youtube’s fact-checking box. Image credits: Youtube via Buzzfeed.

According to Buzzfeed, several human fact-checking services have already been contacted by Youtube. Some of these services are already working with Facebook to curb disinformation. The tech giants are resorting to human oversight as at least so far, automated fact-checking has proven incapable of being doing a reliable job.

It’s not entirely clear what type of video this will appear next to. The spokesperson cited the recent conflict between India and Pakistan as a potential source of misinformation. As an example, he showed an explosion in Syria that someone was trying to pass off as a Pakistani attack against Indian soldiers.

However, the company has still not announced a timeline where a similar feature will be released in the rest of the world. Considering that it’s a service provided manually, scalability seems like a major issue. Misleading videos (and misleading information in general) have emerged as a major issue worldwide in the era of post-truth, one which social media giants are partially responsible for — and one for which there is no clear solution in sight.

Youtube has also recently announced the demonetization of all anti-vax channels, citing broader policy against the monetization of videos with “dangerous and harmful” content.

share Share

Scientists Have a Plan to Launch a Chip-Sized, Laser-Powered Spacecraft Toward a Nearby Black Hole and Wait 100 Years for It to Send a Signal Home

One scientist thinks we can see what's really in a black hole.

What Would Happen If Everyone in the World Turned On The Lights At the Same Time?

Power grids could likely handle the surge of demand, but all that light would pollute dark zones nearby.

AI Designs Computer Chips We Can't Understand — But They Work Really Well

Can we trust systems we don’t fully understand?

A Painter Found a 122-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Hidden in a Lighthouse in Tasmania

Hidden for 122 years, a message in a bottle is finally revealed.

These Male Tarantulas Have Developed Huge Sexual Organs to Survive Mating

Size really does matter in tarantula romance.

Anthropic says it's "vaccinating" its AI with evil data to make it less evil

The Black Mirror episodes are writing themselves now.

Scientists Say Junk Food Might Be as Addictive as Drugs

This is especially hurtful for kids.

A New AI Can Spot You by How Your Body Bends a Wi-Fi Signal

You don’t need a phone or camera to be tracked anymore: just wi-fi.

Golden Oyster Mushroom Are Invasive in the US. They're Now Wreaking Havoc in Forests

Golden oyster mushrooms, with their sunny yellow caps and nutty flavor, have become wildly popular for being healthy, delicious and easy to grow at home from mushroom kits. But this food craze has also unleashed an invasive species into the wild, and new research shows it’s pushing out native fungi. In a study we believe […]

The World’s Most "Useless" Inventions (That Are Actually Pretty Useful)

Every year, the Ig Nobel Prize is awarded to ten lucky winners. To qualify, you need to publish research in a peer-reviewed journal that is considered "improbable": studies that make people laugh and think at the same time.