YouTube uses Wikipedia to fight fake news
David Brown
The Times
YouTube announced the scheme, which would add links providing additional information, about a particular topic, after being accused by MPs of “colluding” with extremism
REUTERS
Conspiracy theory videos on YouTube will feature links to Wikipedia and other articles in an attempt to stop the spread of disinformation.
The scheme by the video-sharing website was announced hours after MPs accused the company of “colluding” with extremism by failing to remove far-right content.
Susan Wojcicki, chief executive of YouTube, announced the introduction of “information cues” at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Texas on Tuesday.
YouTube says the links will present an alternative viewpoint to videos questioning science or describing conspiracies about events such as the Moon landings.
“People can still watch the videos but then they actually have access to additional information, can click off and go and see that,” Ms Wojcicki said.
The information cues will first roll out to topics for which there are a significant number of YouTube videos.
A spokeswoman said the cues would link to “third-party sources around widely accepted events”.
The website was criticised last month after its top “trending video” claimed that survivors of the Parkland school shootings in Florida were “crisis actors”.
The use of Wikipedia to challenge hoaxes or conspiracy theories around breaking news could be contentious.
The online encyclopedia, which is compiled largely by volunteers, said it works well as a “contemplative process” but “not sorting out the oft-conflicting and mistaken reporting common during disaster and other breaking news events”.
YouTube, which is owned by Google, adjusted its algorithms last year to promote what it described as authoritative sources after calls for it to stop the spread of “fake news”.
The home affairs select committee criticised YouTube’s head of counterterrorism on Tuesday after four versions of a video by the far-right National Action remained on the site more than a year after being flagged up by MPs.
The company announced last month that it would label news from broadcasters which receive government money.
Damian Collins, chairman of the Commons digital, culture, media and sports committee, said the proposal risked identifying public, independent broadcasters, such as the BBC, alongside state-backed outlets, such as Russia’s RT which has been accused of propaganda.
