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Why it matters: Arguably one of the best additions to X/Twitter in recent years has been the community notes feature, which allows contributors to add context such as pointing out incorrect facts beneath posts. YouTube, another platform rife with misinformation, is testing a new feature that works the same way.
YouTube says that the experimental feature will allow users of the platform to add notes to provide relevant, timely, and easy-to-understand context on videos. It gives examples such as when a song is meant to be a parody, which some people apparently need pointing out, when a new version of a product being reviewed is available, or letting viewers know when older footage is mistakenly (or intentionally) portrayed as a current event.
YouTube is currently inviting a limited number of eligible contributors who are channel owners to write the notes. The initial pilot will involve third-party evaluators, not users, rating the helpfulness of these notes, which will help train the systems. Contributors themselves will rate notes as well as the pilot program advances. Eventually, assuming the feature rolls out fully, everyone will be able to write and rate notes.
As explained by YouTube: "When you find a video that might be confusing or inaccurate, you can submit a note clarifying it. Your contributions will be reviewed by others with a wide range of views to ensure their quality and helpfulness before being added to the information panel below the video."
If they're found to be broadly helpful, the notes will be displayed beneath videos in a blue box and can be expanded by clicking on them, much like comments. People will be asked whether they think a note is "helpful," "somewhat helpful," or "unhelpful" and why. YouTube will then use a bridging-based algorithm to consider the ratings and determine what notes are published.
YouTube says testers should submit notes on videos they find inaccurate or unclear, emphasizing that they should be written in their own words and not use text copied directly from sources. The notes should also add clarity or useful context to videos.
The pilot program will only be available on mobile, in the US, and in English to start. Viewers, participants, and creators are invited to give YouTube feedback on the quality of notes.
YouTube is the world's second-most-popular website behind Google.com, with over 30 billion visits per month. It also has a misinformation problem that Google has been battling for years. Community notes have helped address this issue somewhat on X, and they could do the same on Google's video platform.