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YouTube is adding Twitter-like Community Notes to some videos as a test feature to help keep viewers better informed about what they see on the platform. Text-based notes that clarify content with linked sources may start appearing under some videos that offer outdated information, misleading information, or are parodies, according to a blog post YouTube published Monday. YouTube is testing its notes for US users in English first, and could roll out the feature more broadly at a later date.YouTube says its note creators will consist of “eligible contributors” it will reach out to over email or from within YouTube’s Creator Studio. The Google-owned video platform says it will then use “third party evaluators” to review the notes, and eventually allow other YouTube creators to rate each other’s notes as well. While YouTube doesn’t include the phrase “fact-checking” in its post, that’s what this pilot program can do. YouTube shared an example mock-up of a note under a video about “extinct animals.” The example note states that one of the animal species mentioned in the video is actually not extinct, and includes a link to a source. Just like Twitter/X, YouTube’s crowdsourced, unpaid fact-checking system will allow users to rate notes as “helpful,” “somewhat helpful,” or “unhelpful.” Evaluators can also share why they believe a video’s note isn’t helpful. Twitter’s Community Notes feature, initially called Birdwatch, rolled out globally in late 2022. Since then, it’s added notes to images that could be misleading or AI-generated and now requires contributors to provide sources to back up their notes.
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Meta’s social media apps have fact checkers, too. Last month, third-party fact checkers finally got the ability to monitor Threads, which was previously being indirectly moderated if misleading content was first flagged on Instagram or Facebook and made its way over to Meta’s latest social media app. YouTube already offers informational panels on some videos with health-related content, noting official government sources on vaccine information and when a YouTube creator is actually a licensed medical professional, for example. Now, YouTube’s taking another step toward adding context with its notes pilot program, which could help reduce the spread of misinformation online.
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