For years, YouTube has looked to keep eyeballs glued to its site by recommending videos. Now, the Google-owned video giant wants viewers to let them know what kind of content they definitely do not want to see in their recommendations.
In a blog post on Wednesday, YouTube said it’s rolling out a new feature that lets users block certain channels from appearing in their recommendations. The option, aptly titled “don’t recommend channel,” appears when users click on the three dots icon located underneath videos on the right side.
The feature is already available on YouTube’s iOS and Android app, and according to the company will be available on desktop “soon.”
TheWrap tested it out this morning, asking YouTube to stop recommending videos from the Golden State Warriors’ official channel. “We won’t recommend videos from this channel to you again,” the followup message said after clicking on the feature.
The “don’t recommend channel” option adds to a similar “not interested” option users already had, allowing them to mark particular topics that were unappealing. Now, if a particular creator irritates them, they can purge the channel from their feed altogether.
Users can still find channels they’ve blocked by simply searching for them, if they’re inclined.
YouTube’s update comes as the site has increasingly come under fire for both its content moderation policies and its recommendation algorithm. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported the site helped “radicalize” a millennial viewer towards far-right views, thanks in large part to its arcane recommendation system. Several creators mentioned in the report, including commentator Dave Rubin, pushed back, saying there was no philosophical or moral thread connecting the channels mentioned in the piece. Wednesday’s update suggests YouTube is looking to put more control in its viewers’ hands to decide what they watch.