On X (formerly Twitter), community notes allow users of the social network to add context to posts considered misleading. The community aspect then revolves around the reception of the note: if the latter is considered useful by many users, it will then be displayed publicly on the targeted post.
Inspired, Youtube now decides to do the same thing for its videos. The operation should be the same, and the name too. “Notes” will allow users to add information or context to videos, to indicate whether it is, for example, a parody, or to indicate whether content presented as recent is actually several years old. If a note is considered important by the community, it will appear in a small box below the corrected video.
Youtube is fumbling
For the moment, the contributions made to the notes are only accessible to a small number of users, in the same way as their evaluation. Youtube will subsequently use this data to extend its functionality to the general public. For the moment, it is only visible to American users with an English version of the video streaming site.
It’s difficult not to welcome this initiative, which shows Youtube’s desire to offer a community alternative to the regular disinformation visible on all social networks. The fact of limiting access to the functionality to the general public for its launch demonstrates the precaution taken by YouTube. The firm also points out that any erroneous information potentially accessible via a community note “part of the learning experience“.