YouTube Tests Viewer Annotations for Video Context

In an effort to combat misinformation and enhance viewer understanding, YouTube is piloting a new feature allowing selected users to add contextual notes to videos

Alphabet’s YouTube will soon enable users to submit “notes” that will offer context for specific films as part of a new feature initially made available in the United States.

The purpose of this announcement was to introduce the latest feature on Monday.

YouTube will extend invitations to select users and creators to compose remarks on videos as part of the initial test phase.

These comments provide a “context that is relevant, timely, and easily comprehensible” for the films.

For instance, the annotations may inform viewers when a song is intended to be a parody, when a new version of a product being reviewed is available, or when older footage is inaccurately depicted as a current instance.

Community Notes is a tool that is highly comparable to this one and is available on the social media platform X.

This function enables specific contributors to provide context to their postings by utilizing phrases such as “misleading” and “out of context.”

Initially, the notes feature on YouTube will be accessible to consumers in the United States on mobile devices and available in English.

YouTube has announced that third-party evaluators will assess the usefulness of notes during this phase, which will aid in the training of the systems. This will occur before the prospective release to a broader audience.

Notes on videos will be visible to viewers in the United States in the weeks and months ahead.