YouTube wants to reduce the number of misleading videos on its platform, and it’s kickstarting that effort within the world’s most populous nation. In India, the Google-affiliated hub is cracking down on “egregious clickbait” with a policy shift that will lead to the removal of some infringing videos.
As explained in a blog post, YouTube’s clickbait crackdown will target content that includes overstated titles and/or misleading thumbnails. Videos in the current events and breaking news categories will be particularly scrutinized, as YouTube hopes to root out uploads that have the potential to misinform viewers about important topics.
“Egregious clickbait occurs when the 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,” reads the post. “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.”
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For now, YouTube’s effort to eliminate clickbait is limited to India, where traffic is on the rise, Western creators are becoming more popular, and viewers often serve as guinea pigs for new features. Creators in the South Asian nation can expect YouTube to begin enforcing its new policy “over the coming months.”
It would not be surprising if the clickbait crackdown ultimately expands to other regions as well. Misleading videos have long been a source of frustration for creators and an object of ridicule among fans. Despite all that scorn, creators still go to extreme lengths to produce clickbait, and those efforts tend to pay off in the form of massive viewership.
If YouTube initiates a global campaign against clickbait, it would not be the first Big Tech platform to tackle this industry-wide issue. Instagram has encouraged changes on its feed by promoting original content over salacious reposts. YouTube’s plan to take down clickbait videos without issuing strikes could prove to be a more effective enforcement mechanism. In India, creators are about to find out if that’s the case.
