YouTube said it is planning changes to give users more context for videos promoting conspiracy theories or state-sponsored content, the latest effort by an internet giant to clean up its platform amid criticism over its role in spreading misinformation.

YouTube said it would on Friday start labeling all videos from what it identifies as state-funded broadcasters. The step would affect a range of sources, including the U.S.’s Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS. But it is significant in part because YouTube has been a major...</s>YouTube will now add a label to videos that come from state-funded media outlets, the Google-owned company announced on Friday.

A notice will appear under the videos for any outlets that received some level of government or public funding. It will also include a link to the Wikipedia article about that broadcaster for viewers to glean more information about the news source.

"News is an important and growing vertical for us and we want to be sure to get it right, helping to grow news and support news publishers on YouTube in a responsible way," Geoff Samek, senior product manager for YouTube News wrote in a blog post published on Friday. "This work follows a series of changes we made throughout 2017 to better surface authoritative news content."

Company spokespeople said some labels will appear as soon as Friday, but added that the initiative is still new and developing.

In an example on the YouTube blog, a video from Radio Free Asia -- which is funded by the US' agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- includes a note with an information symbol under the video but right above the title. "RFA is funded in whole or in part by the American government," it states.

Other outlets affected include PBS and the Russian-funded network, RT.

Spokespeople for YouTube said they consulted with third-party groups to draw up the list of outlets that will receive the label. It's not clear yet whether videos from certain shows such as Sesame Street, which airs on PBS, will also be labeled on YouTube.

The spokespeople also defended its decision to direct users to Wikipedia articles about the various broadcasters. Though Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, the spokespeople said they trust Wikipedia's editors to present an aggregate of information about the various outlets and their funding.

YouTube, along with other internet and social media companies, have faced increasing criticism over the past year for how they selectively filter content that comes from questionable sources, and those that promote propaganda or conspiracy theories.

A spokesperson for PBS pushed back YouTube's latest move, saying labeling "PBS a 'publicly funded broadcaster' is both vague and misleading."

"PBS receives a small percentage of its funding from the federal government; the majority of funding comes from private donations," the spokesperson said. "More importantly, PBS is an independent, private, not-for-profit corporation, not a state broadcaster. YouTube's proposed labeling could wrongly imply that the government has influence over PBS content, which is prohibited by statute. If YouTube's intent is to create clarity and better understanding, this is a step in the wrong direction. We are in ongoing discussions with YouTube on this issue, but we have yet to reach a satisfactory solution."

For RT, which has 2.2 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, the label is the latest in a series of obstacles the network faces in the United States as concerns grow over Russia's meddling in American politics.

In November, the Department of Justice forced RT to register as a foreign agent after the broadcaster was singled out in a intelligence community report issued early last year about Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 US election.

RT furiously protested DOJ's decision and in retaliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments into law, passed by the Russian parliament in November, that will list foreign media outlets in Russia as "foreign agents," which could open foreign media outlets up to harsh audits and possible closure. Russian officials also sent letters to news organizations in Russia that are backed by the US government, warning them of possible "restrictions."

RT did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Part of Russia's new restrictions might include labeling content from American government-funded outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Current Time television as coming from a "foreign agent."

The BBG did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the new YouTube label.</s>YouTube today said it’s launching a change to its service that will offer viewers more transparency around where news broadcasters get their funding. According to a company announcement, YouTube will now add notices below videos that are uploaded by broadcasters who receive some level of government or public funding.

“Our goal is to equip users with additional information to help them better understand the sources of news content that they choose to watch on YouTube,” explained Geoff Samek, Senior Product Manager YouTube News, in the company’s blog post.

The feature’s launch was earlier reported by The WSJ, which explained how the change may help to tackle the ongoing “fake news” problem that’s spanning the web, where fringe conspiracy theories and propaganda are often given equal visibility and attention as legitimate news sources.

The change will affect sources like the U.S.’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), but will also increase the visibility around foreign state news organizations, like Russia’s RT. As The WSJ also pointed out, U.S. intelligence officials dubbed RT “the Kremlin’s principal international propaganda outlet.”

This new label will initially appear only to users in the U.S., and it may not always be accurate.

A “Send Feedback” form will also be available in the case that issues with attribution arise, YouTube says.

While increasing the transparency around government-funded news reporting will help, to some extent, in providing more context around news videos on YouTube’s site, it doesn’t at all go far enough to address the larger issue with fake news, conspiracy theories, or other content that’s designed to influence public opinion for either financial or political gain.

However, YouTube says that addressing the fake news problem is one of several goals it has for 2018.

As part of its efforts in tightening its content policies, the company says it’s planning to work with news partners to roll out more solutions to highlight authoritative news sources on its site in 2018.

YouTube claims it has already made progress in this area by better surfacing content from authoritative news sources on the homepage in a new “Breaking News” section as well as in search.

This goal was announced alongside several others this morning, as part of YouTube’s to-do list for the year.

Other initiatives include better communication with creators, giving creators better monetization tools, the expansion of social features like the Community tab and Reels, and increased investment in educational content.</s>YouTube today said it’s launching a change to its service that will offer viewers more transparency around where news broadcasters get their funding. According to a company announcement, YouTube will now add notices below videos that are uploaded by broadcasters who receive some level of government or public funding.

“Our goal is to equip users with additional information to help them better understand the sources of news content that they choose to watch on YouTube,” explained Geoff Samek, Senior Product Manager YouTube News, in the company’s blog post.

The feature’s launch was earlier reported by The WSJ, which explained how the change may help to tackle the ongoing “fake news” problem that’s spanning the web, where fringe conspiracy theories and propaganda are often given equal visibility and attention as legitimate news sources.

The change will affect sources like the U.S.’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), but will also increase the visibility around foreign state news organizations, like Russia’s RT. As The WSJ also pointed out, U.S. intelligence officials dubbed RT “the Kremlin’s principal international propaganda outlet.”

This new label will initially appear only to users in the U.S., and it may not always be accurate.

A “Send Feedback” form will also be available in the case that issues with attribution arise, YouTube says.

While increasing the transparency around government-funded news reporting will help, to some extent, in providing more context around news videos on YouTube’s site, it doesn’t at all go far enough to address the larger issue with fake news, conspiracy theories, or other content that’s designed to influence public opinion for either financial or political gain.

However, YouTube says that addressing the fake news problem is one of several goals it has for 2018.

As part of its efforts in tightening its content policies, the company says it’s planning to work with news partners to roll out more solutions to highlight authoritative news sources on its site in 2018.

YouTube claims it has already made progress in this area by better surfacing content from authoritative news sources on the homepage in a new “Breaking News” section as well as in search.

This goal was announced alongside several others this morning, as part of YouTube’s to-do list for the year.

Other initiatives include better communication with creators, giving creators better monetization tools, the expansion of social features like the Community tab and Reels, and increased investment in educational content.</s>YouTube will now add a label to videos that come from state-funded media outlets, the Google-owned company announced on Friday.A notice will appear under the videos for any outlets that received some level of government or public funding."News is an important and growing vertical for us and we want to be sure to get it right, helping to grow news and support news publishers on YouTube in a responsible way," Geoff Samek, senior product manager for YouTube News wrote in a blog post published on Friday. "This work follows a series of changes we made throughout 2017 to better surface authoritative news content."Company spokespeople said some labels will appear as soon as Friday, but added that the initiative is still new and developing.In an example on the YouTube blog, a video from Radio Free Asia -- which is funded by the US' agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- includes a note with an information symbol under the video but right above the title.Other outlets affected include PBS and the Russian-funded network, RT.Spokespeople for YouTube said they consulted with third-party groups to draw up the list of outlets that will receive the label. It's not clear yet whether videos from certain shows such as Sesame Street, which airs on PBS, will also be labeled on YouTube.The spokespeople also defended its decision to direct users to Wikipedia articles about the various broadcasters. Though Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, the spokespeople said theyYouTube, along with other internet and social media companies, have faced increasing criticism over the past year for how they selectively filter content that comes from questionable sources, and those that promote propaganda or conspiracy theories.A spokesperson for PBS pushed back YouTube's latest move, saying labeling "PBS a 'publicly funded broadcaster' is both vague and misleading.""PBS receives a small percentage of its funding from the federal government; the majority of funding comes from private donations," the spokesperson said. "More importantly, PBS is an independent, private, not-for-profit corporation, not a state broadcaster. YouTube's proposed labeling could wrongly imply that the government has influence over PBS content, which is prohibited by statute. If YouTube's intent is to create clarity and better understanding, this is a step in the wrong direction. We are in ongoing discussions with YouTube on this issue, but we have yet to reach a satisfactory solution."For RT, which has 2.2 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, the label is the latest in a series of obstacles the network faces in the United States as concerns grow over Russia's meddling in American politics.In November, the Department of Justice forced RT to register as a foreign agent after the broadcaster was singled out in a intelligence community report issued early last year about Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 US election.RT furiously protested DOJ's decision and in retaliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments into law, passed by the Russian parliament in November, that will list foreign media outlets in Russia as "foreign agents," which could open foreign media outlets up to harsh audits and possible closure. Russian officials also sent letters to news organizations in Russia that are backed by the US government, warning them of possible "restrictions."RT did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.Part of Russia's new restrictions might include labeling content from American government-funded outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Current Time television as coming from a "foreign agent."The BBG did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the new YouTube label.</s>YouTube will now add a label to videos that come from state-funded media outlets, the Google-owned company announced on Friday.

A notice will appear under the videos for any outlets that received some level of government or public funding. It will also include a link to the Wikipedia article about that broadcaster for viewers to glean more information about the news source.

"News is an important and growing vertical for us and we want to be sure to get it right, helping to grow news and support news publishers on YouTube in a responsible way," Geoff Samek, senior product manager for YouTube News wrote in a blog post published on Friday. "This work follows a series of changes we made throughout 2017 to better surface authoritative news content."

Company spokespeople said some labels will appear as soon as Friday, but added that the initiative is still new and developing.

In an example on the YouTube blog, a video from Radio Free Asia -- which is funded by the US' agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- includes a note with an information symbol under the video but right above the title. "RFA is funded in whole or in part by the American government," it states.

Other outlets affected include PBS and the Russian-funded network, RT.

Spokespeople for YouTube said they consulted with third-party groups to draw up the list of outlets that will receive the label. It's not clear yet whether videos from certain shows such as Sesame Street, which airs on PBS, will also be labeled on YouTube.

The spokespeople also defended its decision to direct users to Wikipedia articles about the various broadcasters. Though Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, the spokespeople said they trust Wikipedia's editors to present an aggregate of information about the various outlets and their funding.

YouTube, along with other internet and social media companies, have faced increasing criticism over the past year for how they selectively filter content that comes from questionable sources, and those that promote propaganda or conspiracy theories.

A spokesperson for PBS pushed back YouTube's latest move, saying labeling "PBS a 'publicly funded broadcaster' is both vague and misleading."

"PBS receives a small percentage of its funding from the federal government; the majority of funding comes from private donations," the spokesperson said. "More importantly, PBS is an independent, private, not-for-profit corporation, not a state broadcaster. YouTube's proposed labeling could wrongly imply that the government has influence over PBS content, which is prohibited by statute. If YouTube's intent is to create clarity and better understanding, this is a step in the wrong direction. We are in ongoing discussions with YouTube on this issue, but we have yet to reach a satisfactory solution."

For RT, which has 2.2 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, the label is the latest in a series of obstacles the network faces in the United States as concerns grow over Russia's meddling in American politics.

In November, the Department of Justice forced RT to register as a foreign agent after the broadcaster was singled out in a intelligence community report issued early last year about Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 US election.

RT furiously protested DOJ's decision and in retaliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments into law, passed by the Russian parliament in November, that will list foreign media outlets in Russia as "foreign agents," which could open foreign media outlets up to harsh audits and possible closure. Russian officials also sent letters to news organizations in Russia that are backed by the US government, warning them of possible "restrictions."

RT did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Part of Russia's new restrictions might include labeling content from American government-funded outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Current Time television as coming from a "foreign agent."

The BBG did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the new YouTube label.</s>YouTube will now add a label to videos that come from state-funded media outlets, the Google-owned company announced on Friday.

A notice will appear under the videos for any outlets that received some level of government or public funding. It will also include a link to the Wikipedia article about that broadcaster for viewers to glean more information about the news source.

"News is an important and growing vertical for us and we want to be sure to get it right, helping to grow news and support news publishers on YouTube in a responsible way," Geoff Samek, senior product manager for YouTube News wrote in a blog post published on Friday. "This work follows a series of changes we made throughout 2017 to better surface authoritative news content."

Company spokespeople said some labels will appear as soon as Friday, but added that the initiative is still new and developing.

In an example on the YouTube blog, a video from Radio Free Asia -- which is funded by the US' agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- includes a note with an information symbol under the video but right above the title. "RFA is funded in whole or in part by the American government," it states.

Other outlets affected include PBS and the Russian-funded network, RT.

Spokespeople for YouTube said they consulted with third-party groups to draw up the list of outlets that will receive the label. It's not clear yet whether videos from certain shows such as Sesame Street, which airs on PBS, will also be labeled on YouTube.

The spokespeople also defended its decision to direct users to Wikipedia articles about the various broadcasters. Though Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, the spokespeople said they trust Wikipedia's editors to present an aggregate of information about the various outlets and their funding.

YouTube, along with other internet and social media companies, have faced increasing criticism over the past year for how they selectively filter content that comes from questionable sources, and those that promote propaganda or conspiracy theories.

A spokesperson for PBS pushed back YouTube's latest move, saying labeling "PBS a 'publicly funded broadcaster' is both vague and misleading."

"PBS receives a small percentage of its funding from the federal government; the majority of funding comes from private donations," the spokesperson said. "More importantly, PBS is an independent, private, not-for-profit corporation, not a state broadcaster. YouTube's proposed labeling could wrongly imply that the government has influence over PBS content, which is prohibited by statute. If YouTube's intent is to create clarity and better understanding, this is a step in the wrong direction. We are in ongoing discussions with YouTube on this issue, but we have yet to reach a satisfactory solution."

For RT, which has 2.2 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, the label is the latest in a series of obstacles the network faces in the United States as concerns grow over Russia's meddling in American politics.

In November, the Department of Justice forced RT to register as a foreign agent after the broadcaster was singled out in a intelligence community report issued early last year about Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 US election.

RT furiously protested DOJ's decision and in retaliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments into law, passed by the Russian parliament in November, that will list foreign media outlets in Russia as "foreign agents," which could open foreign media outlets up to harsh audits and possible closure. Russian officials also sent letters to news organizations in Russia that are backed by the US government, warning them of possible "restrictions."

RT did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Part of Russia's new restrictions might include labeling content from American government-funded outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Current Time television as coming from a "foreign agent."

The BBG did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the new YouTube label.</s>YouTube will now add a label to videos that come from state-funded media outlets, the Google-owned company announced on Friday.

A notice will appear under the videos for any outlets that received some level of government or public funding. It will also include a link to the Wikipedia article about that broadcaster for viewers to glean more information about the news source.

"News is an important and growing vertical for us and we want to be sure to get it right, helping to grow news and support news publishers on YouTube in a responsible way," Geoff Samek, senior product manager for YouTube News wrote in a blog post published on Friday. "This work follows a series of changes we made throughout 2017 to better surface authoritative news content."

Company spokespeople said some labels will appear as soon as Friday, but added that the initiative is still new and developing.

In an example on the YouTube blog, a video from Radio Free Asia -- which is funded by the US' agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- includes a note with an information symbol under the video but right above the title. "RFA is funded in whole or in part by the American government," it states.

Other outlets affected include PBS and the Russian-funded network, RT.

Spokespeople for YouTube said they consulted with third-party groups to draw up the list of outlets that will receive the label. It's not clear yet whether videos from certain shows such as Sesame Street, which airs on PBS, will also be labeled on YouTube.

The spokespeople also defended its decision to direct users to Wikipedia articles about the various broadcasters. Though Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, the spokespeople said they trust Wikipedia's editors to present an aggregate of information about the various outlets and their funding.

YouTube, along with other internet and social media companies, have faced increasing criticism over the past year for how they selectively filter content that comes from questionable sources, and those that promote propaganda or conspiracy theories.

A spokesperson for PBS pushed back YouTube's latest move, saying labeling "PBS a 'publicly funded broadcaster' is both vague and misleading."

"PBS receives a small percentage of its funding from the federal government; the majority of funding comes from private donations," the spokesperson said. "More importantly, PBS is an independent, private, not-for-profit corporation, not a state broadcaster. YouTube's proposed labeling could wrongly imply that the government has influence over PBS content, which is prohibited by statute. If YouTube's intent is to create clarity and better understanding, this is a step in the wrong direction. We are in ongoing discussions with YouTube on this issue, but we have yet to reach a satisfactory solution."

For RT, which has 2.2 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, the label is the latest in a series of obstacles the network faces in the United States as concerns grow over Russia's meddling in American politics.

In November, the Department of Justice forced RT to register as a foreign agent after the broadcaster was singled out in a intelligence community report issued early last year about Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 US election.

RT furiously protested DOJ's decision and in retaliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments into law, passed by the Russian parliament in November, that will list foreign media outlets in Russia as "foreign agents," which could open foreign media outlets up to harsh audits and possible closure. Russian officials also sent letters to news organizations in Russia that are backed by the US government, warning them of possible "restrictions."

RT did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.

Part of Russia's new restrictions might include labeling content from American government-funded outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Current Time television as coming from a "foreign agent."

The BBG did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the new YouTube label.</s>YouTube said it is planning changes to give users more context for videos promoting conspiracy theories or state-sponsored content, the latest effort by an internet giant to clean up its platform amid criticism over its role in spreading misinformation.

YouTube said starting Friday it would label all videos coming from what it identifies as state-funded broadcasters, a category that would include even the U.S.’s Public Broadcasting Service, or PBS. The step is significant in part because YouTube has been a major conduit for...</s>(CNN Money) — YouTube will now add a label to videos that come from state-funded media outlets, the Google-owned company announced on Friday.

A notice will appear under the videos for any outlets that received some level of government or public funding. It will also include a link to the Wikipedia article about that broadcaster for viewers to glean more information about the news source.

“News is an important and growing vertical for us and we want to be sure to get it right, helping to grow news and support news publishers on YouTube in a responsible way,” Geoff Samek, senior product manager for YouTube News wrote in a blog post published on Friday. “This work follows a series of changes we made throughout 2017 to better surface authoritative news content.”

Company spokespeople said some labels will appear as soon as Friday, but added that the initiative is still new and developing.

In an example on the YouTube blog, a video from Radio Free Asia — which is funded by the US’ agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors — includes a note with an information symbol under the video but right above the title. “RFA is funded in whole or in part by the American government,” it states.

Other outlets affected include PBS and the Russian-funded network, RT.

Spokespeople for YouTube said they consulted with third-party groups to draw up the list of outlets that will receive the label. It’s not clear yet whether videos from certain shows such as Sesame Street, which airs on PBS, will also be labeled on YouTube.

The spokespeople also defended its decision to direct users to Wikipedia articles about the various broadcasters. Though Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, the spokespeople said they trust Wikipedia’s editors to present an aggregate of information about the various outlets and their funding.

YouTube, along with other internet and social media companies, have faced increasing criticism over the past year for how they selectively filter content that comes from questionable sources, and those that promote propaganda or conspiracy theories.

A spokesperson for PBS pushed back YouTube’s latest move, saying labeling “PBS a ‘publicly funded broadcaster’ is both vague and misleading.”

“PBS receives a small percentage of its funding from the federal government; the majority of funding comes from private donations,” the spokesperson said. “More importantly, PBS is an independent, private, not-for-profit corporation, not a state broadcaster. YouTube’s proposed labeling could wrongly imply that the government has influence over PBS content, which is prohibited by statute. If YouTube’s intent is to create clarity and better understanding, this is a step in the wrong direction. We are in ongoing discussions with YouTube on this issue, but we have yet to reach a satisfactory solution.”

For RT, which has 2.2 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, the label is the latest in a series of obstacles the network faces in the United States as concerns grow over Russia’s meddling in American politics.

In November, the Department of Justice forced RT to register as a foreign agent after the broadcaster was singled out in a intelligence community report issued early last year about Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 US election.

RT furiously protested DOJ’s decision and in retaliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments into law, passed by the Russian parliament in November, that will list foreign media outlets in Russia as “foreign agents,” which could open foreign media outlets up to harsh audits and possible closure. Russian officials also sent letters to news organizations in Russia that are backed by the US government, warning them of possible “restrictions.”

RT did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Part of Russia’s new restrictions might include labeling content from American government-funded outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Current Time television as coming from a “foreign agent.”

Nasserie Carew, communications director for the Broadcasting Board of Governors — which oversees American government-funded outlets abroad like Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and Current Time — said the BBG disagreed with the new policy and noted that the agency’s “legislative firewall prohibits interference by U.S. government officials in the objective, independent reporting of news.”

“If YouTube’s goal is to help the consumer identify ‘authoritative news content’, this policy falls short. It is deeply misleading, factually inaccurate, and irresponsible to lump BBG networks and propaganda outlets including those funded by China and Russia under one broad label,” Carew said. “We hope to work with YouTube to draw a sharp distinction between the two.”
YouTube, in a move to boost transparency and combat propaganda, announces that it will start to label videos by broadcasters that receive state-funding.