YouTube apologized after auto-generated text beneath livestreams of the (still ongoing) fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, suggested that viewers read about the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Why in the world is @YouTube putting information about 9/11 underneath the Notre Dame livestream from @FRANCE24?
(Especially since it seems like, at least right now, ongoing renovations are the most likely cause, no indication of terror) https://t.co/A3HP36epxx pic.twitter.com/ZheCMC5pcG— Joshua Benton (@jbenton) April 15, 2019
YouTube is suggesting viewers read about 9/11 during Notre Dame-related streams, for some reason pic.twitter.com/mqNxVs5BSe
— jordan (@JordanUhl) April 15, 2019
I'm not sure there's a better metaphor for the state of the tech industry right now than an American social platform slapping an algorithmically-generated related article about an American terror attack on to a live stream about a completely unrelated French news story. pic.twitter.com/KLWGlg5NEc
— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) April 15, 2019
Some far-right figures and accounts have invoked comparisons between the cathedral fire and 9/11 and other instances of terrorism. As of publishing time, there is no confirmed evidence suggesting that the fire is the result of terrorism.
Fire at Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral was started by accident and is related to ongoing work, according to France 2, citing police. Either way it is terrible and a hideous blow to the symbolic heart of the city
— Luke Baker (@BakerLuke) April 15, 2019
This is so crazy! When I looked up videos of the Notre Dame fire in Paris, YouTube put links to an encyclopedia entry on the September 11 attacks.
This was on multiple channels: France 24, CBS, and ABC.
We have no evidence this is an attack. But YouTube linked it to 9/11. Why?! pic.twitter.com/UIxpPCQAqx— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) April 15, 2019
YouTube blamed the errors on an algorithm.
Thanks for tagging us–this information panel definitely isn't supposed to show for this video. We're working to fix it now.
— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) April 15, 2019
Statement a YouTube spokesperson just sent me about how the Notre Dame fire triggered a 9/11 information panel:
“These panels are triggered algorithmically and our systems sometimes make the wrong call. We are disabling these panels for live streams related to the fire.”— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) April 15, 2019
A recent Bloomberg exposé reported that YouTube executives ignored numerous warnings about the spread of misinformation on the platform to focus instead on engagement; as a result, extremism and conspiracy theories ran rampant and YouTube ultimately became a radicalization tool for the far right.