YouTube is focused on tackling misinformation on its platform by verifying health workers in the UK. This could be a major step in the right direction, with many social network platforms continuing to struggle to contain wrong health information.
Verified health workers will be able to get a badge next to their channels, giving them more authority to talk about the subject areas they specialize in. UK watchers will also be able to trust their opinion more, making the platform more reliable long-term.
With so many UK users using social media daily, YouTube is aiming to become a more fact-based video content network. It focuses on the billions of views that are generated each year for health-based information alone.
This is also perfect for older people living in the UK who aren’t always able to self-identify reliable medical information when watching YouTube. They may not be tech-savvy enough to catch misinformation in real time, which is why having a more reliable marker will be important.
This is a unique feature that could be impacting other countries and other industries as well. Technology experts in Pune could begin to identify how their own platforms can leverage authentication and verification with badges.
Both business and consumer applications can showcase reliable or verified information, through additional stage verification. YouTube has directly identified users who can apply for the verification system and get their badges through the platform directly.
Techies can also learn from YouTube’s bold move into content identification from active moderation. By adding a checkmark specifically for health data, it is making it easier for users to access health data through its platform.
YouTube is also working with the UK’s Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the NHS to help in its verification process. This is making the verification that much more valuable and fool-proof, allowing for more reliable information to proliferate.
Medical information education is a growing field, which is why it is important to continue innovating in terms of access and understanding. Developers who are working within these critical growth fields can learn from YouTube’s strategy to counter misinformation.
Techies can also implement the right technical steps required to scale up an operational change such as this. Through the verification process, multiple entities can gain more credibility through the process stages.
In conclusion
YouTube is focusing on medical misinformation, which is a key challenge area for many social media providers globally. It’s focusing on the UK market, which is a critical demographic for the platform in terms of growth and audience size.