YouTube Rolls Out Stricter Comment Moderation as a Means to Curb Spamming

Ever since its inception, the comment section on YouTube has been plagued by spammers, most of whom are bots. Now, creators seek control measures to curb this growing menace. Many have learned to ignore the spammers, and some have decided to turn off the comment option on their videos to sidestep the problem.

Unfortunately, while effective at stopping spammers, it also adversely affects audience engagement. Another issue that creators are still trying to solve is the issue of trolls, but the more pressing issue currently is that of spamming. And it seems there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for creators, as YouTube is now helping to tackle the issue. 

In a video released on April 1st, content creator Marques Brownlee highlighted the fact that the spamming in the comment section of YouTube has been getting "out of control" for a while, and the frequency has continually increased to the point that no individual can handle it alone. While YouTube has always provided tools to help fight spamming and has combined both human judgment and machine learning to remove roughly a billion spam comments, YouTube doesn’t seem to be letting up on the fight against spamming either and has been adding more features to help fight it. 

In a recent tweet, Brownlee brought attention to the new controls put in place by YouTube. He posted a screenshot with a list that showed the option to increase strictness while scanning for "potentially inappropriate comments for review."

However, this is not the end. Ivy Choi, a spokesperson for YouTube, told the Verge that the platform plans to continue to adapt its methods of fighting spammy content due to its shifty and ever-evolving nature.

 What features would you recommend to help fight this issue of spamming? Please drop your ideas in the comment section below.