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YouTube has reinstated Steven Crowder into its Partner Program, meaning they'll once again allow him to monetize his videos. Demonetizing was already insufficient, but this decision proves that YouTube has no real interest in enforcing it's anti-hate policies. https://twitter.com/tubefilter/status/1293654620238237697
In the past few months, Crowder has:
- published conspiracy theories about COVID
- called BLM a terrorist organization
- made multiple videos about how "TRANSGENDERS ATTACK!"
These are all in violation of YouTube's policies. Not a single one has been removed.
- published conspiracy theories about COVID
- called BLM a terrorist organization
- made multiple videos about how "TRANSGENDERS ATTACK!"
These are all in violation of YouTube's policies. Not a single one has been removed.
For reference: YouTube's anti-hate speech policies clearly and plainly prohibit all of this stuff. The fact that Crowder is being re-monetized, despite repeated rule-breaking, shows how YouTube's policies were never actually meant to be enforced.
I said it last June, and I'll say it again: YouTube has a tremendous profit incentive to keep hate speech on the platform. Hate performs well and drives up the company's numbers. It has never had any interest in enforcing its rules, and uses them solely to distract journalists.
YouTube won't meaningfully change its policies so long as it can lure advertisers with high engagement numbers.
Creators should:
- refuse to participate in company promo materials
- speak publicly against the platform at every opportunity
- support a creators' union
Creators should:
- refuse to participate in company promo materials
- speak publicly against the platform at every opportunity
- support a creators' union
YouTube has spent years actively promoting white supremacist and transphobic content. It's the largest radicalization engine on the planet. It is bonkers that journalists continue to act as if this is a moderation failure, when it's actually YouTube's entire business strategy.
