"Why is it starting out in India first?!" — Netizens react to YouTube launching a massive clickbait crackdown

On December 18, 2024, YouTube announced a new policy targeting content that fails to deliver on the promises made in its thumbnails and titles. Termed "egregious clickbait," such videos will now face stricter scrutiny, with the initiative first rolling out in India, according to a statement published on YouTube's official blog.

As a result, the move has ignited a wave of reactions from users worldwide on X, sparking debates about the company's choice of rollout region and the potential implications for content creators. One netizen on X commented:

"Why is it starting out in India first?! LMFAOOOOO."

Some users humorously called out specific content creators known for relying on clickbait tactics, questioning how they might adapt to the new policy.

"Damn @PontiacMadeDDG what u gonna do gang u the clickbait king lol," a user on X commented.

"Starting in India," another wrote on X.

"911 for commentary channels," a third on X commented.

Others expressed support for the move, welcoming the crackdown on deceptive practices. However, some users raised concerns, highlighting potential challenges for creators who cover multiple topics in a single video. They questioned how such content could be effectively represented in thumbnails under the new guidelines.

"It's about freakin time. I was getting sick of clicking on 50 videos to find one damn video that actually delivered what I was searching. Thanks for saving my precious time!" a netizen commented.

"Do we know if YouTube will dive a bit more deeper into explaining this?" another wrote.

"Content creators, take note: it's time to double-check your thumbnails and titles. Staying authentic isn't just ethical; it's now essential for survival," one more wrote.

As of now, YouTube has not publicly addressed these online reactions or clarified how it plans to handle these specific concerns.

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YouTube rolls out clickbait ban first in India

A logo of a video streaming platform (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, YouTube announced in a blog post that it will begin removing videos that fail to deliver on promises made in their titles or thumbnails. The initiative, starting in India, will be implemented gradually before expanding globally in the coming months.

According to the blog post, the crackdown's initial focus will be videos related to breaking news or current events. The video streaming platform also announced that stricter policies on clickbait and misleading thumbnails will follow worldwide.

Importantly, videos flagged under this new policy will be removed without issuing strikes against creators. The platform explained this leniency as a transitional measure to allow creators time to adapt to the updated enforcement guidelines.

The platform emphasized its commitment to addressing "egregious clickbait" to enhance the integrity of content on its platform. The statement stated:

"We're strengthening our efforts to tackle egregious clickbait on YouTube. This means we're planning to increase our enforcement against videos where the title or thumbnail promises viewers something that the video doesn't deliver."

It continued:

"This can leave viewers feeling tricked, frustrated, or even misled—particularly in moments when they come to YouTube in search of important or timely information."

Examples provided in the blog include scenarios where a video uses a thumbnail claiming "top political news" but fails to include any relevant coverage in the actual content. Such videos will be subject to removal under the new policy.

YouTube stated that this initiative is part of its broader effort to prioritize quality in new video uploads in the future.

"And as we continue to educate creators, our enforcement efforts will prioritize new video uploads moving forward," the statement read.

The company did not explain why the rollout is beginning in India, and the Indian government has not issued any statement regarding the policy.

According to reports from Telecom Economic Times, India had over eight crore content creators on YouTube and 50,000 professional creators on regional short-form video platforms in 2022.