Tell YouTube to Drop Their Plans for Community Notes
YouTube
YouTube recently announced that they’re copying a feature from X/Twitter, in which users will be invited to add “Community Notes” to add context and some pretense of community moderation to videos on the platform.[1]
At first glance this seems to be a good idea – but unfortunately, watered-down content moderation that depends on users isn’t sufficient or appropriate, especially in an election year.
YouTube already has a well-known and widespread problem with “rabbit holes” of extremist and white supremacist videos.[2] Content moderation to restrict the spread of this harmful and dangerous material is YouTube’s responsibility – not something to be foisted off to users who could easily game the system.
One need only look at X/Twitter’s devolution into a toxic cesspool of fake news to realize that community notes are no substitute for strong, in-house moderation tools.
Click “Add your name” to tell YouTube: Drop your plans for community notes and invest those resources in real content moderation instead.
1. Social Media Today: YouTube Is Testing Its Own Version of Community Notes
2. Washington Post: YouTube still hosts extremist videos. Here’s who watches them.
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To:
YouTube
From:
[Your Name]
We urge you to drop your plans for community notes and invest those resources in strong, in-house content moderation instead.
You need only look at X/Twitter’s devolution into a toxic cesspool of fake news to realize that community notes are completely insufficient to stop the flood of extremist and white-supremacist content on any large social platform.
Especially in an election year, it’s YOUR job to restrict the spread of harmful and dangerous content - and watered-down systems that depend on users won’t be sufficient or appropriate to the task.