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YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

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Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#171

Post by bcrosby95 »

dspillett wrote: post #138
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd think that creators making people want to use the site would be important, but unfortunately YouTube is a monopoly and is addictive, so content is more or less fungible from Google's perspective. If you aren't viewing ads on creator A's content, you'll probably be viewing them on creator B's content instead. It's not like other streaming services where there is real competition and losing particular content wou…

> You'd think that creators making people want to use the site would be important YouTube's audience size and advertising metrics have long since gone through the point where individual creators or groups of them matter little. If a creator walks off the platform there are more who will fill the place, in search of potential monetisation, so youtube will still have somewhere to hang adverts off. An advertiser leaving…

It's quite obvious they either have advertiser problems or their ad serving algorithm sucks.

I get so many repeats in stuff I'm not interested in at all, and completely unrelated to what I watch.

I don't know if it's a matter of those ads bidding the highest or what. But YouTube's ability to show something I'm interested in is worse than even what the daytime TV ads were back in the day.

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#172

Post by mandmandam »

rchaud wrote: post #117
bluGill wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Next step is your local attorney general. (or whatever the equivalent position is in your company). They should be able to find plenty of things that have long been illegal about promoting scams. Of course will they do their job?

One man's "politician doing their job" is another man's "strangling innovation with bureaucratic red tape".

Fifty families' "politician doing their job" is one man's "strangling innovation with bureaucratic red tape", and even that one man knows he's full of shit.

But when that one man represent a hundred-billion dollar company, attorneys general seem to get very confused as to where their loyalty lies. It's unfortunate for the fifty families (and quite lucrative for the AGs and GGLs).

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#173

Post by loudmax »

gambiting wrote: post #149
mandmandam wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The youtube recommendation algorithm brings up new and cool content For you. For kids it brings up amputation videos and seriously weird/predatory shit. Should they be cultivating their recommendation feed better? Try searching for '!' on the homepage. You'll get a mix of kid videos and fucked up animated softcore furry shit. It's been like that for fucking years . For me it brings up Ben Shapiro and Jordan Peterso…

>> so you'll love these smarmy shitheads. I've had success with just blocking these channels, or selecting "don't recommend this to me", after a while it stops suggesting right wing content to me, it hasn't for quite a while in fact.

I've had mostly the same success, but it's disconcerting that I even have to block those guys to begin with.

Also, at this point the suggestion algorithm seems close to worthless. My Youtube suggestion feed is either channels that I already follow, or whose videos I've watched recently, or complete garbage. Any worthwhile new channels or videos, I've have to seek out for myself.

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#175

Post by rolph »

cool_dude85 wrote: post #69
FirmwareBurner wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (I'm in Canada) The reply was it didn't break any policy. When ads are the primary source of revenue, there's zero incentive to police the platform TL;DR: If you're a major on-line ad distributor like Google/Meta, and broadcast malicious ads to consumers, then you should be liable for them according to local laws just how TV and radio broadcasters are liable for the same thing. Long argument: Sure those ads don't b…

For what it's worth, I've noticed a proliferation of scam ads on the radio over the past few years. Go to this website and get free cash now kind of stuff.

this could just as easily been pirate, or legitimate broadcast. that would be a new take on scams, to use SDR to spoof a station, and broadcast scam materials as the big end of the funnel to a scam url.

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#176

Post by tivert »

Arie wrote: post #62
ak_111 wrote: post #38

I keep getting an ad which claims to be the "Tesla of heaters" it even shows the tesla logo when they say this. If anything I am surprised that Elon is not suing them (youtube) just for fun (given the problems he is having with ads). If anything it would be an easy way for him to publicly show that scammy ads are a global problem and not just an X issue. Although I think it can be solved in a nanosecond if there was…

Got that one as well a bunch of time with 2 fake dutch inventors. Reported it, got denied because Youtube thinks it's fine to promote a scam like that.

Got a link to the ads?

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#177

Post by dyingkneepad »

PaulHoule wrote: post #154
gambiting wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>Youtube grew because of piracy and the posting/distribution of copyrighted content. The funny thing is, the second you take a step out of the anglosphere it still hosts an absolute tonne of copyrighted content that no one cares about. Just search for "full film" in Polish and you get lots of full films uploaded as-is and no one is taking them down https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pe%C5%82ny+film

It is really random in the anglosphere. If you type "... full film" you will get the full film sometimes, just not all the time.

Or just S01E02.

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#178

Post by wredue »

Sanzig wrote: post #36

It may be extreme, but I think we need to pass legislation to make advertising networks civilly liable for fraud facilitated by their services. Google will change its tune quickly when it's their wallet on the line. As a bonus, this also provides a restitution path for victims (most of these frauds are run overseas, so the perpetrators are out of reach of the justice system).

Google would respond by removing your country from using YouTube.

Then it would be up to your country to call their bluff. Who know whether they would or not. Google held out for longer than I thought they would on the Canada link laws. Ultimately, Google would give in and reopen YouTube, but how long would it take and would people give up YouTube for several months while wait for governments to battle Google facilitating fraud?

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#179

Post by mywacaday »

passwordoops wrote: post #5

They're all like that. A whole back I reported an obvious real estate scam using Wayne Gretzky and some Blue Jays player (I'm in Canada). The reply was it didn't break any policy. When ads are the primary source of revenue, there's zero incentive to police the platform

When the Irish Tánaiste (US VP equivalent) and former Taoiseach (President equivalent) has to go to court and looses when he tries to find out from google who is advertising using his identity you know the whole think is a sham that has to be protected at all costs, https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/12/06/tanai...

Re: YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads

#180

Post by 8ytecoder »

I fell for one of these ads on Instagram years ago. The ad was for a bike light with an innovative design. The website had a clean look and feel. They accepted paypal (again years ago). I’m usually very sceptical about scam but back then I naively assumed that you can’t just create an obvious scam ad like this without Facebook and Google catching you. Since you have to have a payment method in file I thought that’ll be a deterrent as well. I was totally fooled.

The scammers even shipped me a super basic bike light to show proof that they actually shipped an item. I had to first file a claim with PayPal and they refunded me but only after some haggling.

I reported the ad to Instagram with all the proof and pictures. I used their security/phishing contact to report this. The ad and the associated account was still there when I checked months later.

I mean I can understand these companies not wanting to care about us measly users enough to respond to account related queries. But this is their bread and butter. If I don’t trust your ads anymore why on earth would I ever click or buy anything. If anything it makes all good businesses lose as well. That’s their real customers. I see people here defending YouTube that it’s understandable that YouTube doesn’t have the time to screen ads. I call bullshit. This is their core product. Ads. They have to care for their own and their customers’ (advertisers) sake.

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