YouTube will soon use Wikipedia to combat videos that support conspiracy theories and misinformation. Who uses YouTube, lands quickly in videos with conspiracy theory content. The network does not want to delete such clips, but they should be opposed in the future something.
The article is likely to have angered the Google subsidiary, especially as YouTube has long been in trouble with major advertisers. In recent years, some companies had complained or even cut back line bookings, because their ads had appeared time and again before problematic videos, whether clips full of hate and hate or just videos with conspiracy theories. YouTube responded to these issues with adjustments to its monetization rules, among other things.
At the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, YouTube boss Susan Wojcicki announced a new move to help YouTube tackle its omnipresent conspiracy theories: so-called "information cues" are designed to make more controversial consumers less likely Videos give additional information on the topic at hand. Whether he deals with this information, however, the user is free. One is not a "news agency" (in the original: "news organization") emphasized Wojcicki on stage.
Specifically, YouTube wants to provide text excerpts from Wikipedia and other websites besides videos that deal with topics conspiracy theories circulate. As an example of such a topic chemtrails and the moon landing were mentioned. "People can still watch the videos," Wojcicki said, "but then have access to additional information."
New from @YouTube - CEO Susan Wojciki announces a feature to fight conspiracy theories w/ related links to news, Wikipedia #sxsw pic.twitter.com/sLtjdQNqbu
— Maureen Fitzgerald (@movandy) 13 Mart 2018
"Neither Wikipedia nor the Wikimedia Foundation are part of a formal partnership with YouTube," it said on Wednesday.
The @Wikimedia Foundation statement about the recent @YouTube announcement pic.twitter.com/PFDDNtNNjn
— Wikimedia (@Wikimedia) 14 Mart 2018
Where do the hints come from?
Which and how many videos are exactly equipped with the new hints is so far unclear, as well as the question of which sources other than Wikipedia YouTube will present in a prominent place. Basically, first of all topics with additional material should be considered, to which already many videos exist. So if you serve or set up a rather unpopular or difficult to refute theory - for example, that this article was only written here because the football club Manchester United lost yesterday against Sevilla must not soon with a Wikipedia excerpt under his video expected.
It is also unclear whether the new clues, for example, will appear among videos that want to expose conspiracy theories as such, so videos that deal critically with a theory. For the first time, the "information cues" should be shown "in the coming months". The Wikimedia Foundation, the foundation behind the Wikipedia project, has not yet commented on the project.