These days people are hungry for news related to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Everyone is obviously trying to gain an understanding of what’s going on, what kind of developments are there, and what people out there have to say about it. Naturally, there is also a ton of misinformation out there that could lead to disastrous consequences.To help fight any misinformation out there, YouTube is now displaying what they are calling “fact check information panels” whenever users in the US search for COVID-19 information on its platform. These information panels made its debut back in India and Brazil last year, but it looks like the company is now expanding it to the US.
According to YouTube, “We’re now using these panels to help address an additional challenge: Misinformation that comes up quickly as part of a fast-moving news cycle, where unfounded claims and uncertainty about facts are common. (For example, a false report that COVID-19 is a bio-weapon.) Our fact check information panels provide fresh context in these situations by highlighting relevant, third-party fact-checked articles above search results for relevant queries, so that our viewers can make their own informed decision about claims made in the news.”
YouTube is not alone in trying to fight misinformation out there. Platforms like Facebook are also doing their part. WhatsApp is also trying to curb the spread by limiting the number of forwarded messages, which according to the company has seen a drop by 70% ever since the limitation was introduced.
Filed in . Read more about Coronavirus, Covid-19, Google and YouTube. Source: youtube.googleblog