YouTube, like mainstream social networking sites, is plagued by content that contains inaccurate or unclear information. To combat misinformation, users will soon have the ability to add notes and provide context for videos.

Notes on YouTube Videos

You might already be familiar with the concept of fact-checking notes since they are already used by social media platforms like Facebook and X. Users can submit their notes on a subject and will go through the process of approval.

Third-party evaluators will have to determine whether the information is helpful first by rating it. Once approved, the community-sourced note will appear below the video, even including a time stamp to specify which part of the video the context is about, as shown in The Verge. 

For example, in a video about a list of extinct animals, viewers can add additional context by correcting the mistake about a particular species. The Giant Tortoise, in particular, was thought to be extinct but has been found in the Galapagos Island in 2019. It even includes a link from a credible source.

Only a limited number of eligible contributors can participate in the new feature, which will be coming to the system over the coming weeks and months. Furthermore, writing notes is only possible on mobile in the US for now, and it can only be written in English. 

Later on in the development process, users will be asked to rate the notes whether they are "helpful," "somewhat helpful," or "unhelpful," along with an explanation for their rating. It will determine which the algorithm will label as "broadly helpful" for the video.

According to YouTube, the note will be favored by the algorithm if users who participate have varying ratings in notes before, and rate the same note as helpful. This will prevent the site from accepting ratings from people who always think each note is accurate.

Misinformation and disinformation continue to be rampant online, and these measures will at least lessen those instances and prevent them from spreading further. Other social media platforms had the right idea by adding the same feature and would benefit from being more widely enforced.

Read Also: Community Notes Ranking: Elon Musk Fans Receive the Most Fact-Checks on X

Fact-Checking on X and Meta Apps

Just Like YouTube, the notes on X (formerly known as Twitter) are also crowd-sourced and aim to correct false information on a post. Specifically called "Community Notes," only eligible contributors may submit their corrections and it will appear below the main post.

Users can rate how helpful the note is, or request an additional review if they believe that it is still wrong or is lacking context. The same idea is available across Meta apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. 

The corrections are published by independent third-party fact-checking organizations that are certified through the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) or European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN).

They are tasked to identify, review, and take action against misinformation. The measures can range from identifying false news, correcting parts of the content that are false, or completely labeling a post for misinformation.

Related: Meta to Launch Fact-Checking on Threads Amid Rampant Misinformation