YouTube revises its approach against the extremist content

YouTube has outlined four major steps that it will be taking to ensure that extremist content does not see the light of day on the platform.

Social media platforms have always had a huge amount of content to showcase including those who use the platforms to spread propaganda and extremist content to other users. This has forced governments and other groups to put pressure on social networks to come up with ways to combat this menace.

YouTube, the online video platform owned by Google, has issued a statement pertaining the measures it will be taking to combat extremist content. The op-ed was published in the Financial Times with the details of the measures YouTube is set to take after working with different law enforcement agencies.

According to YouTube:

• The first step will entail the use of automated systems for better identification of content related to terror. The company is thus using machine learning that will make it easier to classify the terror-related content so that it can be removed.
• The second step is to increase the number of experts in its Trusted Flagger user’s program. This group already made up of 63 organizations, will get 50 more NGOs to help in reviewing flagged content so that it can be easily removed from the YouTube list of videos.
• Step three will entail making it more difficult for videos that may not violate community standards but all the same have content that is supremacist or inflammatory religious in nature. Such videos are to be denied any ad revenue and will be hidden behind a warning to those who may wish to view them.
• The last step is the most effective one. Using its Creators for Change program, YouTube will redirect those who wish to view extremist content to channels with counter-terrorist content which will provide them with another perspective to the terror menace. They will thus be convinced not to join groups such as ISIS.

YouTube is not working alone on doing away with extremist content. It has the help and expertise of firms such as Facebook and Twitter all of which are focused on getting rid of extremist content at their ends. It can be expected that this joint effort will soon lead the extremist content to no audience.