INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightEPAConspiracy videos suggesting that the California wildfires were lit by government laser beams have clocked up millions of
views on YouTube.News site Motherboard found conspiracy theories and fake news topped search suggestions, when looking for clips of the
California wildfires.It said YouTube had "not adequately stopped these conspiracy theories from blossoming on its platform".YouTube said it
has made a long-term commitment to tackle misinformation.At least 80 people have died in the fires which swept across the state of
500 people remain unaccounted for after the so-called Camp Fire destroyed the town of Paradise.But YouTube has provided a "thriving" home
for misinformation about the fires, Motherboard said.It found people searching for the fire were recommended topics such as "conspiracy
2018", "directed energy weapon" and "laser beam".Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
YouTube has struggled to
tackle the spread of fake news
Many of the conspiracy videos falsely suggest the fires were deliberately lit with
plane-mounted laser weapons
They use manipulated or out-of-context images to back their arguments.YouTube has been criticised for struggling to limit the spread of fake
news and misinformation on the platform.Its recommendations and search results are powered by algorithms that have been manipulated by
video-makers to help their content go viral.Critics have complained that YouTube's algorithms serve up progressively more sensationalist and
reactionary content.But YouTube told Motherboard it had a breaking news section on its homepage, which draws videos from reliable sources.In
a statement, YouTube said: "Over the last year we've worked to better surface credible news sources across our site for people searching for
news-related topics."by Rory Cellan-Jones, Technology correspondentThis is not the first time YouTube and its parent Google have been
accused of serving up the very opposite of useful and accurate information
Asked whether Barack Obama was planning a coup, the Google Home smart speaker used to pipe up with a conspiracy theory from some dubious
More recently, YouTube was accused of leading high school students who typed "federal reserve" into its search box as they researched a
homework assignment down a rabbit hole of "conspiratorial quackery" with increasingly paranoid videos
Google is constantly tweaking its search algorithm to make sure it produces better results, but it is facing an army of opponents determined
to skew it in a different direction for commercial or malicious purposes
What is more disturbing is the way the algorithm appears to latch on to a person's fears and prejudices, recommending ever more extreme
content rather than leading them back towards the truth
Earlier this year, YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki promised action against fake news - not by changing the algorithm, but instead
providing links to Wikipedia articles debunking conspiracy theories alongside videos
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
YouTube's Susan Wojcicki
I just searched for "chemtrails", one
of the subjects she mentioned, and the first result was a conspiracy theory video
There were plenty more in the "up next" bar alongside it
But no sign of Wikipedia.While Facebook has received much of the blame for the dissemination of fake news, YouTube may be a more influential
platform among young people.Now it stands accused of feeding them a twisted and unreliable view of the world.
