During the current situation with the coronavirus outbreak, tech giants and social media platforms are doing their best to provide a safe environment, trusted sources of information and to even help with the public’s mental health.
Now, YouTube has announced that it will provide a section on its homepage that offers its users a hug with reliable sources of knowledge and news regarding COVID-19. Reportedly, the feature is available in 16 countries, but the plan is to expand it even more.
On the Twitter post announcing the change, however, the sources for the information or news are not specified.
We want everyone to have access to authoritative content during this trying time, so we’re launching a COVID-19 news shelf on our homepage in 16 countries. We’ll expand to more countries, as well. pic.twitter.com/nivKDZ2mHo
Most likely the news sources will be linked to reliable health care organizations, such as the WHO or the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), or authoritative news organizations, for example BBC News, given the fact that YouTube's CEO, Susan Wojcicki, stated last week that those entities will be promoted on YouTube’s COVID-19 related searches.
Unfortunately, YouTube has had its share of misinformation and issues surrounding the public health situation with conspiracy videos and other fake news content being uploaded on the platform. With this new feature, it may be easier for YouTube’s moderation to ensure that it’s promoting reliable content to its users.
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Iskra Petrova is a news writer at PhoneArena, where she covers mobile tech news and maintains the site’s device hubs with the latest leaked specs, rumors, and official details for upcoming phones. She joined PhoneArena in 2020 after three years in technical support for Microsoft Exchange, giving her practical experience with software infrastructure and troubleshooting. Iskra holds a Master’s Degree in Literature, which helps her translate complex tech details into clear, reader-friendly coverage. She is a daily Apple ecosystem user, while also closely following Sony Xperia’s camera-focused phones and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series.
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