YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads • Hacker News Board

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

#201

Post by Waterluvian » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:38 PM UTC

I've been seeing YouTube ads for a fake Super Mario game. And it isn't even a lookalike, it actually says "Super Mario" in the title and uses completely ripped off assets. I've seen a ton of this kind of thing lately. Just the absolute toilet-scrapings of ad customers. It's almost as bad as Twitter some weeks.

Google's in some serious trouble. They've hit maximum revenue stream, but the Jerrys[1] of the company rely on perpetual growth for their careers to exist, so they will push, consciously or unconsciously, to find more revenue anywhere, even by selling out the product's future.

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20230919185431/https://www.justi...

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

#202

Post by klvino » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:38 PM UTC

mywacaday wrote: post #179

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...

In contrast. A third party created a bogus profile of a global brand and began releasing unfavorable content as though they were the brand. The global brand leveraged their relationship with Google to shutdown the profile (which could be labeled as satirical). Google went on to provide the private account and contact info of the third party posting. It was discovered the third-party was a subcontractor/vendor to the global brand. The global brand shut down all work with the party and had them black-balled in their industry.

The Irish gov't wasn't spending enough ad dollars for Google to care.

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

#203

Post by gambiting » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:38 PM UTC

loudmax wrote: post #173

gambiting wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> 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.

Well, it could always be worse - it could be Facebook's recommendation algorithm! I literally block right wing/extremist content on my feed every single day, my blocked list must be hundreds if not thousands of items long, and it just doesn't get a hint, there's more of that stuff every single day. I suspect that Facebook just doesn't care because according to their stats it drives engagement, even if it's negative user experience(because of course I can't stop myself commenting how fucking stupid someone posting flat earth content is, so someone at facebook goes "look he commented on that post, that means he likes it!").

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

#204

Post by sonicanatidae » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:38 PM UTC

epgui wrote: post #161

sonicanatidae wrote: post #15

Wait...a Corporation, who's entire revenue stream is generated from ads, doesn't care who their ads harm, as long as they make money. Shocking.. truly shocking.

Talk about a great example of David Hume’s “is-ought problem”.

We're really delving into sophistry now?

Hume argued the fine lines between logical vs analytical derivatives and while he had a firm stance, others didn't and still don't agree wholly.

Let's take his claim that reason does not stir emotions enough to cause moral actions. That's great and arguable, but why then would he immediately move to, reason can only excite our emotions if it informs us about the world. That's a blatant and obvious contradiction.

His thinking leads to scenarios like his example of willful murder. According to him, the sole reason it's bad is our personal disapproval of it.

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

#205

Post by throw310822 » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:38 PM UTC

marbu wrote: post #2

I reported about 5 such ads just this moth, all clear financial scams impersonating well known people and companies in Czech republic (where I live), only to be told that youtube checked my claim and that the add in question doesn't break any youtube policy. Obviously nothing is forcing Google to deal with this in any way. But I wonder how could that work out for Google in the long run.

> Obviously nothing is forcing Google to deal with this in any way

Really? I mean, they're getting paid by a scammer who uses provably fake and deceptive content to prey on its victims; they have been alerted to the situation, they claim they reviewed it, and that they think it's fine. What could go wrong?

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

#206

Post by bluGill » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

sligor wrote: post #116

cardosof wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The reply was it didn't break any policy. What is the policy, as long as you pay and don't do anything outright offensive, it's all fair game?

The problem is that big companies don't want to broadcast their serious ad along scam ads¹. That is a serious treat for Youtube revenues. ¹ At least I wouldn't if I was doing ad campaigns of a big company, but maybe I'm naive...

The scams are a risk for some lawyer in some country suing YouTube. They bring in a lot of money now so YouTube is not interesting in policing them, but they are a risk that they will suddenly go away for legal reasons. which is why I don't understand why YouTube doesn't police them now - between the potential loss in court and the big companies staying away there is a lot of risk to YouTube.

Note too that if YouTube would police scam ads better they would have a better message to various countries that laws and legal action is not needed at all. Right now I'm shocked the EU hasn't put in place harsh laws about ads - if YouTube would police their own ads they could have a slightly less harsh policy in place and thus make it not worth while for the EU to pass the harsh law they don't like.

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

#207

Post by sonicanatidae » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

verdverm wrote: post #126

JanneVee wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So basically I'm supposed to pay protection money? Yeah, I don't give into extortion...

You can see it as extortion or... Paying for a product instead of being the product. Huge quality of life improvement. How is it different from paying for Netflix and similar?

Why not both?

-Every corporation in the world.

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

#208

Post by __failbit » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:39 PM UTC

I constantly get served a Mr Beast related scam ad that promises a gift of 1000$ (I'm not even american!) along with fake mobile games that take gameplay footage from AAA games (Usually Demon's souls remake for some reason...). In all of my attempts to report them from being scams, i usually get an automated response within an hour telling that the ad is legitimate.

Google just doesn't care.

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

#209

Post by throw310822 » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:45 PM UTC

sys_64738 wrote: post #3

When you are an ad company then why would you reject the source of revenue?

Because it makes you an accomplice in a crime? I mean, it's not like these things slipped through the system: you were alerted to them, you took an action, you claim you reviewed them, and that you are fine with them. That is basically a statement that you are fine with being complicit in a scam.

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

#210

Post by bluGill » Tue, Dec 12, 2023, 4:45 PM UTC

wredue wrote: post #178

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 facilit…

As importantly, would peertube (or others) grow enough? Content is the biggest problem I have with peertube, so if Canada was forced out of youtube content providers might jump to peertube in large enough numbers that I can as well.