It’s common knowledge that the comment sections under YouTube posts are filled with flame wars and trolls, often to the extent that it degrades the overall platform experience for users.
In an attempt to rectify that situation, YouTube is now rolling out updates that will allow creators on the platform to pin certain comments at the top of sections, thus featuring the best and most productive posts with the goal of sparking a healthier discussion. Creators are also now able to ‘heart’ comments they like and wish to promote.
While the changes above are more focused on promoting the good, rather than eliminating the bad, the company is also beta-testing a feature that will scan incoming comments using a computer algorithm and hold those that are flagged as potentially inappropriate from posting directly. Interested channel owners can opt-in to the review system beta here, though it should be noted that the feature is currently only available in English.
YouTube already lets creators ‘blacklist’ certain words and phrases, which puts in place a sort of manual review system — similar to the anti-abuse comment filter rolled out by Instagram in August of this year. In September, YouTube launched a ‘Heroes’ reward program for users that flag inappropriate comments.
Update 11/3/16: MobileSyrup has confirmed with Google that these changes are now rolling out in Canada.
[via]The Verge, TechCrunch[/via]
