Google made an official announcement on Thursday, revealing that it had taken down more than two million videos from YouTube in India during the second quarter of 2023. These videos were found to be in violation of Google's content policies. The announcement was made by Mira Chatt, who serves as the Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for YouTube India, during the Google for India event. Interestingly, a significant portion of the removed videos had an audience of fewer than 10 viewers.

In a move to enhance the quality of news content on its platform, YouTube is set to introduce a new feature called the "Watch Page" in India in the coming months. This Watch Page will be accessible in 11 different Indian languages. Mira Chatt expressed her excitement, stating, "Today, I am thrilled to introduce the 'Watch Page' for news. This dedicated space will recommend videos from reliable and trustworthy sources."

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To access the Watch Page for a specific news topic, users can simply click on a video that bears a newspaper icon, either on the homepage or in the search results.

YouTube's News Watch Page will consolidate content from authoritative sources, spanning video on demand, live streams, podcasts, and Shorts. This feature will empower viewers to delve deeper into multiple sources and perspectives, all within a single watch page. Here, users can easily discover relevant long-form videos, live coverage, and Shorts to quickly stay informed.

It's worth noting that the government recently urged YouTube to identify and address fake news channels on its platform. However, it's essential to clarify that the government has not provided a clear definition of "fake news" in its communication with YouTube.

(Edited by : Akanksha Upadhyay)