YouTube can be a very useful tool for fun, studies, problem solving, and even work. There are tens of thousands of channels that address practically every niche. However, the “clickbait fever” prevalent on the Internet has also infected Google’s video platform. YouTube will begin to attack this by removing videos labeled as “egregious clickbait.”
YouTube will remove videos labeled as “egregious clickbait”
Some people upload videos to YouTube for fun or to help the community, but others make it their job. The monetization possibilities of the platform have led many individuals to strive for a place among the video creators who can earn a living from it. But, in an attempt to get as many views as possible, there are creators who do not maintain adequate ethics. Some channels have a tendency to upload videos with striking titles that do not accurately reflect the content of the video.
To solve this, the platform will “increase [its] enforcement against videos where the title or thumbnail promises viewers something that the video doesn’t deliver.” YouTube’s systems will begin labeling videos as “egregious clickbait,” the blog post reads.
For YouTube, “egregious clickbait” occurs in videos where “the title or thumbnail includes promises or claims that aren’t delivered within the video itself, especially when that content focuses on breaking news or current events.”
The company will pay special attention to news or current events topics to apply the new policies. “‘The president resigned!’ where the video doesn’t address the president’s resignation,” YouTube gives as an example. If a video titles itself “top political news” without providing any news coverage, it would also be subject to penalties.
New policies will arrive first to India
YouTube aims to provide creators with a grace period to adapt to the new rules. In other words, it will give clickbait-focused channels a chance to change their practices. To do so, it will begin removing egregious clickbait videos without imposing penalties. The change in the platform’s policies will begin to roll out first in India “over the coming months.”
