YouTube has said it disabled the means to post comments in that video that feature kids. This has come into force following predatory comments being made in videos showing kids, sparking outrage among video watchers as well as companies placing their ads on such videos.
Apart from disabling posting of new comments, YouTube has said it has deployed a new AI tool which it said is more effective in identifying predatory comments. This has also helped the company to successfully identify and delete tens of millions of comments so far.
Similarly, more than 400 channels that has been found to be writing or encouraging such predatory comments have also been removed.
Some channels, however, will continue to have the privilege of hosting the comments section.
However, that is only after agreeing to monitor each comment made to every video showing minors or risk being removed from YouTube altogether. YouTube is also believed to have employed a human workforce as well for more efficient scavenging of such nefarious comments and is expecting a similar effort from its channel partners as well.
What is likely to have spurred Google to act right away in when big-name companies of the likes of Nestle, Disney or Epic Games started to pull their ads or withholding spending on ads any further on account of the objectionable comments made to kid’s videos. The companies said they resented featuring in those videos that carried such comments.
All of this, however, is quite a challenge for YouTube considering that comments made on each video can also be a means to gauge viewers response to a video or how the viewers have reacted to a video. This again is important considering that many had expressed concern disabling comments might also impact the monetization efforts of the creators though YouTube said the videos will continue to be as effective as ever when it comes to earning money for the creators.
