YouTube is going to use AI moderation to age-restrict way more videos than it already is
The AI moderation is will kick in first to automatically age-restrict certain content, the appeals team will handle issues and complaints later.
We told you yesterday about how YouTube was reverting to using human moderators after machine learning-driven algorithms were flagging and removing content incorrectly. According to YouTube, about 11 million videos were taken down between April and June this year and at least 320,000 were reinstated after appeals.
However, YouTube might still be sticking to using AI-powered tech to catch more videos that may require age restrictions, reports The Verge. This means that more viewers will be asked to sign in to verify their age before watching and YouTube is not removing these videos directly as it was earlier.
YouTube is going to be using the same approach as it used during 2017 when machine learning was being used to catch violent extremism, severe content and hateful conduct. The same approach is going to be used to flag videos YouTube does not consider age-appropriate. So, be prepared to see more videos pop-up with age-restriction parameters in tow.
Also Read: YouTube brings back human moderators after AI algorithms fail to deliver
Simultaneously though, YouTube is preparing to deal with some mistakes in labeling, it is AI after all. As a part of the changes, people watching YouTube videos on third-party sites will be redirected to YouTube to sign in and verify age.
The biggest question that most creators, who are a part of YouTube's Partner Program (that allows monetisation of videos), are facing is - will this moderation affect the money their videos can make?
YouTube doesn't think so since most of the videos that could potentially receive automatic age restriction prompts possibly violate the platform's advertiser-friendly guidelines already. Essentially, these ‘restricted' videos might already be showing limited ads or no ads, says YouTube.
Despite this conviction, YouTube is bracing itself for mistakes and is bulking up its appeals team to handle takedown, wrong labels appeals.
Creators are also concerned that age-restricted videos will not appear on the homepage. YouTube says that while age-restricted videos are indeed less likely to appear on the homepage, age-restricting, in general, does not prohibit videos from appearing on the homepage.
Also Read: YouTube limits Apple tvOS 14's PiP mode to ‘Premium' subscribers
This decision is being rolled out as YouTube tries to deal with global criticism from parents and advocacy groups about the platform being unsafe for children. The platform routinely states that it is not meant for users who are younger than 13 due to federal privacy protections and YouTube Kids is the safer alternative, but that does not stop kids from using the app. Also, some of the channels on the main app are built around creating content, especially for kids.
Currently, YouTube's trust and safety team put in restrictions on videos they come across during reviews. If it looks it is unfit for viewers under 16, a mandatory log-in is put in.
YouTube explained in a new blog post that because of the use of technology, more videos will be age-restricted and the policy team is taking this opportunity to revisit where they draw the line for age-restricted content. After consultation with experts and comparisons with global content rating frameworks, YouTube has arrived at the conclusion that only minor adjustments are necessary.
The blog post also adds that for people in the European Union, there may be a few additional steps the new rules require. Keeping in line with the upcoming regulations like EU's Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), some European users may be asked to provide additional details to verify their age. So, if the system cannot verify that someone is over 18, they may be asked to provide a valid ID or a credit card to verify age.
YouTube says this is going to be a one-time process and that they will be deleting the information once it has been verified. This process has been built to stick to Google's privacy and security principles, the platform explains.
YouTube users may see these changes immediately so for best results it is advisable you log in to your accounts on the platform if you want to avoid these age-restriction pop-ups.
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