YouTube will counter conspiracy video misinformation by adding Wikipedia info

[midian182]

Google has long been trying to address the problem of controversial YouTube content such as conspiracy theory videos, but it hasn’t enjoyed much success. Its latest tactic isn’t designed to remove or stem the spread of these clips, but will instead add info and links to Wikipedia articles on the subjects, thereby providing users with alternative (as in generally accepted) viewpoints.

Speaking at a panel at the South by Southwest Interactive festival in Austin, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said these “information cues” will appear in the form of small cards beneath YouTube videos.

Wojcicki added that the feature wouldn’t appear solely on conspiracy videos, but also on topics and events that have inspired significant debate. One of the examples used was a video about the moon landings. A short extract from the Wikipedia description of the event appears directly below the clip, with a link to the Wiki page included. Wojcicki said information cues would appear alongside both documentaries and conspiracy videos on these subjects.

"People can still watch the videos, but then they have access to additional information," she said, according to Wired.

Expect to see the feature appear in other popular internet conspiracy theory videos, including those that look at chem trials, vaccinations, 9/11, and flat earth claims.

“If there is an important news event, we want to be delivering the right information,” Wojcicki said. She did add that “we are not a news organization,” even though 18 percent of those who use YouTube rely on the platform for their news.

YouTube faced criticism for promoting content in its search results that claimed both the Las Vegas and Florida shootings were hoaxes. In the case of the latter tragedy, a clip alleging that one of the students was a “crisis actor” became the site’s top trending video before being removed.

YouTube has tried adding more human moderators, removing flagged videos, and de-monetizing the channels that create these controversial clips, but its algorithm continues to surface them as it looks for videos that already have a high number of views.

Although Wikipedia entries are written by volunteers and aren’t 100 percent reliable, their inclusion should help balance the conspiracy videos’ arguments. But it’s unclear how they will work for breaking news events that may not have a Wiki page.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/73708-youtube-counter-conspiracy-video-misinformation-adding-wikipedia-info.html

 

[psycros]

Isn't this kind of like using gasoline to put out a fire?

 

[NightAntilli]

This is better than censoring...
But, they should refrain from showing bias. They are a platform, and aside from some extremes, content should not be restricted or manipulated into being thought off as false. Have we really come so far that we need to babysit the whole world on what is and isn't true? Aren't we allowed to decide that for ourselves?

One can argue that that is the purpose of the Wikipedia version. But a true balance is also showing the conspiracy side to a 'mainstream' view in certain cases. But obviously that is not gonna happen. They should stay away from anything that is even remotely related to politics, like 9/11. It is impossible to draw the line between objectivity and censorship on these kinds of topics.

 

[Uncle Al]

Yeah .... I like the Wik but there have been far too many instances where false or misleading information has been published and who will stop the scammers and false news producers from going in and editing information to get their message out? I think there must be a better solution ..... how about a reference to Public Radio or Public Television?

 

[DelJo63]

This is better than censoring...
But, they should refrain from showing bias. They are a platform, and aside from some extremes, content should not be restricted or manipulated into being thought off as false. Have we really come so far that we need to babysit the whole world on what is and isn't true? Aren't we allowed to decide that for ourselves?

Except for the credulous, for which there is just no hope. Many have long lost the ability to Compare & Contrast to sift out truth.

 

[dogofwars]

Aren't we allowed to decide that for ourselves?

Unfortunately there is too many peoples with weak mind and need a little help with context etc..
Another problem they seem to be legion of them so yes it is needed.

 

[JaredTheDragon]

Wiki is generally populated with pure garbage as well, but (and this is an important "but") it is DEFINITELY indicative of the mainstream, standard ad-pop viewpoints on almost all topics. So it's usually a good place to start, as long as one goes in with a critical and skeptical mind.

 

[vhfan]

Google , You Tube, Facebook, Twitter etc...are hard core left wing misinformation spreaders , Google has been manipulating it's search results for years making sure bogus sites like Snopes and a ton of other left wing funded sites come up in search results first .

You have to go through two full pages before you find something thats accurate .

Facebook is now posting warning messages around news that is actually true and factual and not putting warning messages up about real fake news , Zuckerberg is very close to the democrats popular leader George Soros and meets with him regularly to this day .

Jimmy Carter, yeah the former President has been going to Wikileaks for the facts , he has said the main stream media NEVER tell the truth and they don't .

Wikileaks has already proven that the entire Russia colluding nonsense was hatched by Clinton, Podesta and Robbie Mook the day after Trump won the election.

It also shows Clinton paid Trumps woman accusers up to 500K each to accuse him of sexual assault and nothing Trump has been accused of is true , it's all 100% lies .

There has never been so much misinformation in the media than there is today and it's all 100% for the intent of destroying the greatest President this country has ever had.

 

[JaredTheDragon]

There has never been so much misinformation in the media than there is today and it's all 100% for the intent of destroying the greatest President this country has ever had.

Calm down, normie. This isn't about "the President", who's a fake in a fake position already. Media falsehood is about control - controlling the people, causing confusion and chaos and division and depression.

Why? Because confused, depressed people SPEND MORE MONEY on dumb stuff they don't need, chasing happiness with their wallets. The powers that be know this. A confused, demoralized American is far, far more profitable than a beaten-down Communist, and the banks know this. That's why they dissolved the USSR in the 90s in the first place. It was a failed profit project. Crony capitalism is much more profitable.

 

[Impudicus]

Isn't this the perfect way to to spread misinformation and control information?

 

[JaredTheDragon]

Isn't this the perfect way to to spread misinformation and control information?

Which way do you mean?

The entire mainstream media has been compromised since at least the 1950s, following 1946's inception of the CIA. This isn't a theory, it's Congressional Record, explained and admitted outright in the 1975 Church Committee Hearings. Every major news publication is operated at the top levels by various plants and assets, and their job is to confuse and demoralize the People. Bezos (Amazon's CEO) and the Washington Post for example has an $600M contract with Langley directly. They don't care to admit it because the average mindless drones don't believe they're being controlled. They're too afraid of the reality so they refuse to accept it. It's almost hilarious, and nearly genius on the part of intelligence and The Powers that Be.

Except it's so vile and insidious we must continue to out and demonize these people. The ultimate evil on this Earth. The banksters and their State-run systems and pals.