YouTube says it will adjust its algorithm to crack down on conspiracy theory videos that may be harmful to users.
The site in a blog post Friday said that it will "begin reducing recommendations of borderline content and content that could misinform users in harmful ways," such as flat Earth theories or 9/11 conspiracy theory videos. YouTube won't actually remove anything, but this algorithm change would affect how often the content pops up as a recommendation for a user or in the "next up" tab after they're finished watching a video.
It doesn't seem that YouTube will never recommend videos like these under any circumstances, though, as the site only says it's going to "limit" the recommendations and saying that "these videos may appear in recommendations for channel subscribers and in search results."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Still, this announcement was seen as a necessary move for the company, especially after a BuzzFeed News investigation published Thursday, which showed how YouTube can direct users to extremist or conspiracy theory videos after they've watched legitimate news. For example, watching a BBC News video of a speech by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) eventually leads a user to videos about the QAnon conspiracy theory. Charlie Warzel, one of the reporters behind the BuzzFeed report, wrote Friday that YouTube's algorithm change seems "like a really meaningful step forward," although noting that "no credit is due until real people see meaningful changes."
-
The IDF's manpower problemThe Explainer Israeli military's shortage of up to 12,000 troops results in call-up for tens of thousands of reservists
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 – 22 AugustQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
