Researchers have concluded that YouTube’s recommendation algorithm seems to be designed to favour mainstream media over independent creators.
Although radical content does exist on YouTube, the platform’s recommendation algorithm does not direct users to them, according to the study.
The study was conducted by an independent data scientist and a UC Berkeley postdoctoral researcher.
“There is clearly plenty of content on YouTube that one might view as radicalizing or inflammatory. However, the responsibility of that content is with the content creator and the consumers themselves,” the study claims.
The data researchers examined millions of YouTube recommendations over the course of a year to conduct the study and reach their findings.
“Contrary to the narrative promoted by the New York Times, the data suggests that YouTube’s recommendation algorithm actively discourages viewers from visiting content that one could categorize as radicalizing or otherwise questionable,” the researchers wrote in a blog post.
YouTube is just one of many platforms dealing with content moderation in the recent years.
Source: Mark Ledwich, CNBC
