Rabat — YouTube, owned by Google, is taking a stand against misleading video titles and thumbnails and is on track to roll out stricter rules, starting in India, over the next few months to crack down on “egregious clickbait content.”
Clickbait happens when a video’s title or thumbnail promises one thing but delivers another. For example, a video titled “the president resigned” may have nothing to do with a resignation.
Similarly, a thumbnail with the phrase “top political news” or “breaking news” on an AI-generated image could irritate viewers and undermine the platform’s integrity.
Google explained in a statement that “this can leave viewers feeling tricked, frustrated, or even misled—particularly in moments when they come to YouTube in search of important or timely information.”
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YouTube says it will start removing such videos but, at first, won’t issue strikes against creators giving them enough time to adjust to the new rules.
The rules will be enforced more strictly for videos about breaking news or current events, where misleading content can cause confusion. But it’s unclear how YouTube will define these categories.
Clickbait is widespread on social media, especially YouTube, where eye-catching titles and thumbnails can generate significant revenue.
A study last year found that clickbait makes up nearly half of the content from mainstream broadcasters.
Google said its new rules aim to make YouTube more trustworthy, especially when people rely on the platform for daily news content. “Our enforcement efforts will prioritise new video uploads moving forward,” it said.
YouTube has already taken steps to reduce misinformation. In October, it began testing labels to show when videos are digitally altered using AI.
However, those tools and their scope are still limited.
