YouTube is working tooth and nail to minimize the spread of misinformation and fake news on its platform. The Google-owned video-sharing space initiated a crackdown against COVID-19 conspiracy theories and misinformation a few weeks ago and now they’re adding fact-checking panels to counter it.
These panels will appear when someone searches for a coronavirus related topic on YouTube. An information box powered by a third-party fact-checking group will appear on the feed that will indicate whether the virus-related claim is true or not with a link explaining why.
Commenting on the update, YouTube said:
During fast-moving news cycles, these panels will highlight fact-checked articles above search results, so viewers can make their own informed decision about claims made in the news.
These fact-checking panels have been in use in some markets including Brazil and India already and are being rolled out to the US and other countries across the world to address misinformation concerns relating to the pandemic.
The feature is backed by various verified US publishers including The Dispatch, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and The Washington Post Fact Checker. However, the panels will not appear for every news topic as it heavily depends on what was searched for and whether a supported article is available or not.
YouTube added:
As always, it will take some time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our systems will become more accurate, and over time, we’ll roll this feature out to more countries.
