There's money to be made in peddling hate. See how Google does it.
Google's motto used to be 'Do no evil'. That's been abandoned in the pursuit of profits at any cost. The new Google motto (borrowing from Animal Farm) seems to be "Do no evil, unless you can make money from it".
YouTube’s Super Chat lets channel owners and the itself to profit from content that promotes anti-semitism, conspiracy theories, disinformation, as well as harmful and threatening language - including open calls for violence - that directly violate the platform’s Community Guidelines.
Super Chats are an increasingly important source of revenue for both creators and YouTube... Videos broadcast on Tim Pool's Timcast IRL generated $219,416 from over 13,000 paid Super Chat comments. This money was split 70/30 between Pool and YouTube." - ISD Global
What is SuperChat? How do right wing extremists use Superchats to spread anti-semitism? How does Google profit from unmoderated content on YouTube? Follow the money.
"Do no evil - unless you can make from it"
Super Chats Used to Drive Revenue from Ye’s Antisemitism
"Throughout 2022, Ye has embraced and promoted a wide range of antisemitic remarks and conspiracy theories on social media and in interviews. By using his prominent public presence to appear on multiple programs, engaging with white nationalists and far-right activists and by expressing old stereotypes about Jewish supremacy and denials of the Holocaust, Ye’s efforts are encouraging the mainstreaming of antisemitism.
On November 28, popular YouTube creator Tim Pool broadcast a livestream interview with Ye, who appeared on the program with white nationalist Nicholas Fuentes and far-right activist Milo Yiannopoulos. YouTube video received $7,258.66 via 583 paid Super Chat comments. Creators keep about 70% of each Super Chat and YouTube takes about 30%, which in this instance equates to a split of $5,081.07 for Tim Pool and $2,177.59 for YouTube." - ISD Global
Google scheme to monetize hate
- Super Chats, lets YouTube creators (channel owners) monetize the live chats that accompany their livestreams. Viewers comment in real time and pay to pin and highlight their comments, above other non-monetized comments, on the host’s live chat feed during livestream videos.
- Super Chats often violate the platform’s guidelines on harmful or dangerous content, harassment and cyberbullying, electoral misinformation or COVID-19 medical misinformation, without consequence.
- Super Chats are an increasingly important source of revenue for both creators and YouTube. Content creators get 70% of the revenue and YouTube keeps 30%
- An ISD analysis of100 videos broadcast on Timcast IRL resulted in over 13,000 paid Super Chat comments raising $219,416.
Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)
ISD is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding human rights and reversing the rising tide of polarization, extremism and disinformation worldwide. ISD turns research into policy and action. Their research and insights shapes action programming on the front lines and policy advisory work.
Their counter-extremism and digital citizenship education programs has been rolled out in 12 countries. From the first multi-media counter-extremism educational resources for schools, to our cutting edge digital citizenship programmes, our work builds the resilience of young people to hate speech, misinformation and extremism on and offline.
Take Away: Fight hate speech, racism and anti-semitism online by holding companies spreading it to account.
Deepak
DemLabs
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