Meta Announces Crackdown On Video Marketers For Misleading Video Titles And Descriptions

In a recent announcement, Meta Platforms Inc FB has made it clear that it is going to take stern action against video marketers for misleading video titles and descriptions to lure customers. 

According to Meta, a watch bait video is something that involves spreading misinformation, misleading viewers about a video’s true nature, or simply sensationalizing the content present.

Meta has mentioned how people are not fans of these strategies, which they find to be annoying. 

The company has revealed how feedback from its users made them aware of how big of a problem it has become, and that many users would like to stop seeing it in their feeds.

“Given users’ preferences and the nature of watch bait videos, we use a system that detects watch bait holistically across a video post and, if detected, reduces its distribution. Videos that are considered watch bait may not be recommended to viewers and/or may receive a limited ranking. And repeatedly posting watch bait may result in that Page’s overall distribution being reduced,” Meta said in a statement. 

Meta has provided some examples of what it will now be marked as watch bait in video titles and descriptions:

• Withholding - Omitting key information to create an arbitrary curiosity gap to entice users to watch the video to understand the full context.
• Sensationalizing - Using exaggeration and extreme language to entice users to watch the video.
• Misleading - Creating misleading expectations or deceiving viewers about the video content or “payoff”.

Photo: Master OSM 2011 on flickr