Following the recent criticisms regarding how inappropriate content is controlled, monitored and removed from YouTube, CEO Susan Wojcicki released a statement outlining the actions they are taking to minimise the risks associated with appearing on the platform.
These actions, designed to tackle problematic content and protect advertisers from inappropriate content, include:
An increase in the number of people reviewing content and an expansion of expert networks
Expanding the application of machine-learning to flag child safety, hate speech and other challenging content
Regular reporting of aggregate data on flagging and removals
Tightening policies and conducting more manual curation of content fit for advertising
Increasing the number of ad reviewers
Having met with senior representatives from Google last week and having pushed for more proactive vetting of content, tighter monitoring and tougher action, we are encouraged by these measures and look forward to receiving further detail on the plans outlined.
ISBA's position on the issue remains clear. While advertisers need to make their own assessments as to whether advertising on a platform carries a significant risk to their brand reputation, we urge Google to take all required steps possible to ensure advertisers have access to content that is stringently vetted, family friendly and can satisfy reach targets.
We will continue to work with Google on the issue and will update you on any developments in due course.
The full statement from YouTube is available here.