Rampant False and Exaggerated Information... Is YouTube Unable or Unwilling to Act?
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Last week, the domestic YouTube market was stirred by controversy over 'I'm Tourette,' who rose to fame as a popular YouTuber, being accused of exploiting his disability for profit. I'm Tourette confessed on his YouTube channel that he suffers from 'Tourette Syndrome (tic disorder),' which makes daily life difficult, and created video content about overcoming it with a positive attitude. Thanks to this, he gathered nearly 400,000 subscribers in just one month, and sponsorship inquiries followed.
However, public opinion shifted dramatically after allegations surfaced that he manipulated or exaggerated his tic disorder. In response, I'm Tourette stated on his channel, "It is true that I exaggerated my symptoms while creating YouTube content," and apologized sincerely, adding that he would take down all previous videos. The fact that he earned about $8,000 (approximately 9.36 million KRW, estimated) in advertising revenue over a month from running this YouTube channel further angered the public. As YouTube's influence grows and creators earn large sums by attracting subscribers, channels that seek attention through false or exaggerated information are increasing both domestically and internationally. Some criticize YouTube for effectively turning a blind eye to the emergence of such channels to maximize profits. On the other hand, YouTube argues that it is impossible to review and respond to the rapidly increasing number of videos individually and that freedom of expression must also be respected.
◆ "No action taken"= According to YouTube's monetization requirements as of the 12th, creators must meet minimum criteria of at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of video watch time in the past 12 months to generate daily income through 'AdSense' (Google's advertising program). It is known that 55% of the generated ad revenue goes to the person who uploaded the video, and 45% goes to YouTube. The more users watch videos, the larger the revenue for both creators and YouTube as a company.
The problem is that not all who upload videos earn revenue from YouTube. According to a recent report titled 'YouTube Recommendation Algorithm and Journalism' published by the Korea Press Foundation, about half of the videos uploaded to YouTube have fewer than 350 views, and 90% do not reach 11,000 views. Ultimately, it is known that about 90% of videos uploaded to YouTube earn no revenue at all. Because of this, videos containing sensational material or false information to attract users' attention flood the platform, and criticism follows that YouTube prioritizes revenue and is passive in establishing measures to filter or sanction such content.
◆ "Cannot take action"= In this regard, Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, expressed practical difficulties in an interview with the British Guardian. She said, "We have hired more than 10,000 people to block harmful content, but too many videos are being uploaded." According to YouTube, over 600 hours of video are uploaded every minute, and more than 30 million people visit daily, consuming over 1 billion hours of video.
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In response, YouTube is known to rely on artificial intelligence (AI) technology to compensate for human limitations. CEO Wojcicki stated, "In the first quarter of 2019 alone, we removed 8.3 million harmful and hateful videos," adding, "More than 75% of these were removed automatically by AI." She also emphasized that YouTube has established community guidelines and strives to enforce them. The YouTube Community Guidelines regulate excessive exposure and sexual content, harmful or dangerous content, hateful content, violent or graphic content, harassment and cyberbullying, threats against others, and operate a reporting system. However, CEO Wojcicki also expressed concerns about where to draw the line regarding freedom of expression, separate from these regulations.
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