YouTube testing fact check pop up for sensitive searches in India: Report

YouTube is testing a fake content monitoring feature in India that pops up a "fact check" alert on searches for sensitive content.

The feature will also highlight additional information on the subject from verified fact-checking partners of the platform.

"These panels will show up on search result pages rather than on individual videos. Even though videos containing misinformation could still appear in the search results, YouTube will generate disclaimers with the intent to inform viewers that the company deals with the spread of misinformation on the platform," Social Media Today reported on Friday.

With nearly 250 million users and cheapest data plans in the world, India is one of YouTube's largest markets, hence the new feature is being tested for search queries prone to misinformation in Hindi and English languages.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to build a better news experience on YouTube, we are expanding our information panels to bring fact checks from eligible publishers to YouTube," BuzzFeed News quoted a YouTube spokesperson as saying.

In India, the company plans on using information from about half a dozen verified fact-checking services to show these panels.

Many of these services are also working with Facebook to check misinformation on its platform in India ahead of the general elections in the country, the report added.

The feature is eventually lined up for global expansion, however, it remains unclear by when that would happen.

--IANS

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