Google knows that many people will be using YouTube to keep track of the US election on November 3rd. Many politicians use the platform to communicate with voters, and some news organizations will be live streaming round-the-clock coverage. YouTube is preparing a small information panel that will appear at the top of search results and election-centric videos. It will remind users that “results may not be final” and, using a massive ‘SHOW ME’ button, point them toward a Google-run election hub.
YouTube has used this feature before. In March of 2019, youtube added an alert that appeared alongside controversial search queries. If someone typed ‘virus in paracetamol,’ for instance, YouTube would show a small card that detailed the virus and gave an allegedly trustworthy assessment from a fact-checking partner. This was launched in India but has expanded to other countries including the US. Last month, YouTube also used some panels that appear along with election queries. Like how to vote, and how to register to vote in your state, along with a link to information by authoritative sources like the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank.
YouTube has been working to elevate authoritative news sources and remove what they call deceptive content for some time now.
Source Engadget