YouTube is rolling out an experimental feature called “Notes,” designed to provide viewers with additional context and information directly under videos, the company revealed exclusively to TechCrunch. This new feature bears similarities to Community Notes on X (formerly Twitter), aiming to enhance transparency and combat misinformation on the platform.
The Google-owned video-sharing platform explained that Notes can serve various purposes, such as clarifying when content is intended as satire or indicating when older footage is presented as current events. This initiative comes amid heightened concerns about misinformation during the 2024 U.S. election season, exacerbated by advancements in generative AI technology.
Initially launching as a pilot program, Notes will be accessible on mobile devices within the United States and will be available exclusively in English. YouTube acknowledges potential challenges during the testing phase, including mismatches between notes and videos or inaccuracies within the notes themselves. The company plans to leverage feedback from both viewers and creators to refine the feature’s effectiveness and accuracy.
During the pilot, a select group of users with active YouTube channels in good standing will be invited to participate by writing notes. Viewers across the U.S. will gradually begin to see these notes appear beneath videos in the coming weeks and months. Third-party evaluators will assess the relevance and accuracy of these notes, contributing to the training of YouTube’s evaluation systems.
Viewers will have the opportunity to rate the helpfulness of each note, choosing from options such as “helpful,” “somewhat helpful,” or “unhelpful.” They can also provide feedback on why they found a particular note useful or not, citing factors like the quality of sources or the neutrality of the information presented.
YouTube will employ an algorithm to determine which notes are published based on these ratings, prioritizing those deemed most beneficial to a wide audience. For instance, notes that receive positive feedback from a significant number of viewers may be more prominently displayed under videos.
The platform intends for this system to evolve continuously as more notes are submitted and evaluated across different video genres. YouTube aims to assess the feature’s effectiveness thoroughly during the pilot phase to determine its potential for a broader rollout in the future.
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The introduction of Notes reflects YouTube’s ongoing efforts to enhance content transparency and combat misinformation, aligning with broader industry trends towards greater accountability and user empowerment in digital media consumption. As the pilot progresses, YouTube anticipates refining the feature to better serve its global community of viewers and creators alike.
YouTube will be a title sponsor at the upcoming Anaheim Vidcon convention this summer.
