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Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

science.org

11–20 of 49 posts

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#11

Wow! You discovered YouTube will recommend videos from the same channels being watched. Beyond the brain-dead obviousness of this, who got to decide what is extremist or as the study also put it "alternative"? Since when is alternative media a bad thing? This watering down of the concept of extremism is the dangerous part. YouTube doesn't host ISIS or KKK content. Videos from the opposite of your position on the poli…

> who got to decide what is extremist or as the study also put it "alternative"? That's explained in the paper: > Our list of extremist channels consists of those labeled as white identitarian by Ledwich and Zaitsev (26) (30 channels), white supremacist by Charles (45) (23 channels), alt-right by Ribeiro et al. (24) (37 channels), extremist or hateful by the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League (16 chann…

Unfortunately I'm not surprised. The SPLC are the Fox News of declaring everyone they don't like hate groups, and the ADL do a lot of the same, in addition to finding excuses for actual hate when it's the types they like

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#14
post #3

Wow! You discovered YouTube will recommend videos from the same channels being watched. Beyond the brain-dead obviousness of this, who got to decide what is extremist or as the study also put it "alternative"? Since when is alternative media a bad thing? This watering down of the concept of extremism is the dangerous part. YouTube doesn't host ISIS or KKK content. Videos from the opposite of your position on the poli…

"oh no, the peasants are learning to read and think for themselves!" The current paradigm of what SV wants everyone to think should be acceptable free speech is psychotic.

They need more "education" to teach them "critical thinking" so they won't believe this heresy... I mean "misinformation"

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#15
They're basically just saying the algorithm isn't driving extremist content, the users are just watching what they want to watch, which makes total sense.

If you don't allow people to direct link or watch the programs they want to watch, they'll just watch those programs on another platform that's easier to use that will probably recommend more extremist content.

I'm not sure that this research is something that should be acted on. Not actively recommending the content seems like the right balance to me. Not sure why they phrase this in such a backwards way. They shouldn't use platforms to brainwash people to their point of view.

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#16

Wow! You discovered YouTube will recommend videos from the same channels being watched. Beyond the brain-dead obviousness of this, who got to decide what is extremist or as the study also put it "alternative"? Since when is alternative media a bad thing? This watering down of the concept of extremism is the dangerous part. YouTube doesn't host ISIS or KKK content. Videos from the opposite of your position on the poli…

> who got to decide what is extremist or as the study also put it "alternative"? That's explained in the paper: > Our list of extremist channels consists of those labeled as white identitarian by Ledwich and Zaitsev (26) (30 channels), white supremacist by Charles (45) (23 channels), alt-right by Ribeiro et al. (24) (37 channels), extremist or hateful by the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League (16 chann…

1. Form an org with a vaguely anti-hate sounding name

2. Declare certain things "extremism" based on subjective criteria that totally have nothing to do with whether or not they agree with you

3. ??????

4. Your opinion is declared scientific truth

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#17

I sometimes see the default YT homepage outside of my personal controlled usage (for example, on work laptop, or on a friend's chromecast). I am always shocked how many of the default suggestions are straight up rightwing nationalists and the like. I understand 'outrage' or reality-tv esqe topics always get attention, but there's difference between "Youtubers drama" and "Only people of $religion should exist in $coun…

I'm not sure what you're talking about. I find the default youtube homepage to be Mr Beast and Sniperwolf and a random combination of the most popular hosts and videos on youtube. This is when my apple tv is logged out and I think it's reliable as I'm not subscribed or watching any of those channels.

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#18

Wow! You discovered YouTube will recommend videos from the same channels being watched. Beyond the brain-dead obviousness of this, who got to decide what is extremist or as the study also put it "alternative"? Since when is alternative media a bad thing? This watering down of the concept of extremism is the dangerous part. YouTube doesn't host ISIS or KKK content. Videos from the opposite of your position on the poli…

> who got to decide what is extremist or as the study also put it "alternative"? That's explained in the paper: > Our list of extremist channels consists of those labeled as white identitarian by Ledwich and Zaitsev (26) (30 channels), white supremacist by Charles (45) (23 channels), alt-right by Ribeiro et al. (24) (37 channels), extremist or hateful by the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League (16 chann…

Were any communist or socialist channels included?

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#19

"Harmful content." Harmful to the interests of the elite.

'The elite' prefer stoking the flames of the culture war to keep the little people fighting amongst themselves, rather than rising up together against the bigger inequalities.

Re: Subscriptions and external links help drive users to extremist YouTube channels

#20

I sometimes see the default YT homepage outside of my personal controlled usage (for example, on work laptop, or on a friend's chromecast). I am always shocked how many of the default suggestions are straight up rightwing nationalists and the like. I understand 'outrage' or reality-tv esqe topics always get attention, but there's difference between "Youtubers drama" and "Only people of $religion should exist in $coun…

The whole advertising placement outrage thing is passing. Anybody under 50 who sees an ad next to something off putting knows the brand in question didn't put it there intentionally. They don't get outraged, they say "it's just the algorithm" and move on.

Advertisers know this. So unless you are going to abandon YouTube because you see recommendations you don't like (and the fact that your comment is here shows that you aren't) there is no revenue impact to YouTube.

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