Rolling Out Changes
YouTube first trialed cutting back on conspiracy theory videos in the US at the beginning of 2019. Now, the changes could come to the UK, too. This means that we could soon see less of those videos that often leave us up at night wondering if our entire lives have been a lie.
Cutting The Number
As of yet, there are no definitive changes that will be made. All we do know is that YouTube wants to cut the number of ‘borderline videos.’ These are the ones that don’t quite break the Community Guidelines, but they come close to it.
Serious Consequences
As well as the change, Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, will have the power to fine major social network sites as of September 2020. This means that any harmful content shown to young people could land them a huge fine as well as some serious consequences. Now, it’s not just YouTube that might need to rethink their content.
Expect The Change
So when will those conspiracy theories start to disappear? No one has any idea just yet. It’s rumored that YouTube is working on an algorithm that means we won’t have as many of them as recommended videos, but this could take months before it’s up and running.
Many people, including some of YouTube’s top employees, are worried that the change encourages censorship. Could free speech become a thing of the past? Whether we like them or not, we might have to get used to a life without all of those conspiracy theories.