Africa Check joins fact-checkers around the world in writing an open letter to Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube.
"We note that YouTube is one of the main vectors of online misinformation in the world. This is a major concern within our global community of fact-checkers. We note the glaring absence of initiatives on the part of YouTube to implement policies to address the problem."
This is an excerpt from the open letter addressed to YouTube, which has been accused of allowing false information to circulate around the world. To combat this scourge, the platform had, until now, allowed false information to be removed without publishing any retractions. However, according to the fact-checking collective, research data indicates that disseminating verified information is more effective than removing content. This is particularly true in the context of a global health crisis, where fake news is flooding the web and social media. By publishing this open letter, organizations such as Africa Check hope to prompt a response from YouTube executives and encourage them to take measures to actively combat misinformation.
As a reminder, Africa Check has four official offices in Nairobi, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Dakar. In Senegal, the Africa Check office covers French-speaking Africa thanks to editor-in-chief Assane Diagne, who has been leading his team since 2015. This French version of the Africa Check website is an initiative developed by the AFP Foundation.
More information about this open letter can be found here.