YouTube will remove clickbait videos without issuing strikes in India.
Creators using misleading titles like “Breaking News” or “The President Steps Down” will face content takedowns.
YouTube plans to roll out the new policy in India over the coming months with more details to follow.
YouTube India has made an official announcement, which could serve as a warning to some creators who use clickbait titles or thumbnails to make their video content appear more interesting. In a blog post, Google stated that videos containing clickbait titles or thumbnails, particularly those related to breaking news or current events, will be removed.
The tech giant stated that many creators use flashy and misleading titles including phrases like Breaking News or The President Steps Down, which often create misunderstanding and ultimately misleading content. According to YouTube, such titles can leave the viewers tricked and frustrated, specifically when they are on the lookout for important information.
“We’re strengthening our efforts to tackle egregious clickbait on YouTube. This means we’re planning to increase our enforcement against videos where the title or thumbnail promises viewers something that the video doesn’t deliver. This is especially important when the video covers topics like breaking news or current events, ensuring viewers aren’t misled about what they watch on YouTube. We’ll start by slowly rolling this out in India over the coming months,” the company said in its blog post.
To address the issue, the news initiative of YouTube has announced that it will be removing the videos that use such clickbait tactics without issuing strikes against the creator’s channel. However, the company will give content creators time to adjust and align their videos as per YouTube’s new rules.
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This is not the first time YouTube has tried to address the clickbait problems on the platform. Previously, the tech giant introduced an educational program for the creators to help them avoid clickbait. Now, using such titles will lead to the removal of videos.
A few things remain unknown, such as how YouTube will plan and categorise news or current events, monetisation questions, and guidelines for distinguishing between clickbait and legitimate videos. Furthermore, the tech giant has announced that the rules will be implemented in the coming months but has not specified an exact timeline. Furthermore, there are questions regarding whether the events will include sports or other types of categories. We anticipate that YouTube will release additional information in the coming weeks.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. Previously, he worked as a Senior Sub-Editor with Jagran English from 2022, and has been a journalist since 2020, with experience at Times Internet. Ashish specializes in Technology. In his free time, you can find him exploring new gadgets, gaming, and discovering new places. View Full Profile
