YouTube is launching a crackdown against "clickbait" videos that try to mislead the viewers into clicking on a thumbnail which does not show the content promised in the title.
The Google-owned video platform will start the programme from India and may move on to more countries in the coming months.
"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 a blog post on Wednesday.
YouTube defines "Egregious clickbait" as the occurrence where video’s title or thumbnail includes promises or claims that aren't delivered within the video itself, "especially when that content focuses on breaking news or current events."
For instance, the firm said a video title saying "the president resigned!" where the video doesn't address the president’s resignation, constitutes an "egregious clickbait."
"This can leave viewers feeling tricked, frustrated, or even misled—particularly in moments when they come to YouTube in search for important or timely information," it said.
The company said it will start by removing content that violates the clickbait policy "without issuing a strike."
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