Ebubekir Şahin, the President of Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), made significant announcements regarding broadcasts on YouTube. He revealed that regulations and oversight will be intensified, specifically highlighting the need to monitor street interviews.
YouTube Creators to Require Licenses
RTÜK’s president announced that YouTube creators will soon need to obtain licenses. He expressed concerns about street interviews, stating that many have strayed beyond their intended purpose. Additionally, he emphasized that while exercising freedom of expression, the public should be more mindful of their words.
Citing concerns, Şahin mentioned that interviews conducted by individuals lacking expertise in technical subjects like the economy could be misleading. He also noted that the tone used in some interviews does not always align with journalistic ethics.
Furthermore, Şahin touched on new regulations for accounts that regularly broadcast on YouTube. He disclosed that RTÜK recently met with YouTube officials and will be implementing a licensing requirement for content creators.
AI to Monitor YouTube Content
The president also shared that the monitoring won’t rely solely on human oversight. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be employed to assist in content regulation, with AI technology detecting specific keywords to aid in the monitoring process.
Personal Take:
RTÜK’s decision to enforce stricter regulations on YouTube content, especially regarding street interviews, is a notable development. While the intention to prevent misinformation is understandable, the balance between freedom of expression and regulation will be crucial. The integration of AI in monitoring is particularly interesting, as it represents a new frontier in content oversight. It will be intriguing to see how these changes impact both content creators and viewers in Turkey.