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A24 TECHNOLOGY
Monday 25 February 2019
YouTube walks a tightrope with its video makers, advertisers

By RACHEL LERMAN when AT&T, Nestle and Epic
AP Technology Writer Games suspended ads on
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — YouTube while the com-
YouTube's year-in-review pany worked to quell inap-
video is usually a celebra- propriate comments that
tion of video creators who sexualized children on oth-
upload free clips — some- erwise innocuous videos.
times wacky, sometimes YouTube allows advertisers
personal, sometimes offen- to choose topics and de-
sive — that the company mographics to target with
then sells ads against. their ads. But some compa-
But this time, the video- nies want to see stronger
sharing network provoked protections against inap-
a backlash from creators propriate videos to assure
and viewers with "Rewind their ads appear next to
2018," which sidelined safe videos.
many prominent YouTubers YouTube has taken action
in favor of mainstream ce- to protect advertisers, but
lebrities and an inclusive, creators now complain
feel-good message. In this Feb. 28, 2017, file photo YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki speaks during the introduction of that YouTube's counter-
The snubbed YouTubers YouTube TV at YouTube Space LA in Los Angeles. measures results in some of
and their fans quickly re- Associated Press their videos being improp-
taliated with a passive-ag- erly "demonetized," or clas-
gressive but potent protest. Some saw "Rewind 2018" know," she narrated in both apologized for offen- sified as not suitable for ads
Within a week, "Rewind as an effort by YouTube an accompanying video sive videos. And despite — which means they don't
2018 " was the most unpop- to present a sanitized ver- as thumbs-down icons the transgressions, their au- earn money. YouTube
ular video on the service, sion of itself, said Luke Ma- popped up on the screen. diences stayed strong. The didn't respond to a request
now with more than 15 mil- joinen, who runs the enter- "We'll do better to tell our pair still hold power on a for comment on demoneti-
lion dislikes. So intense was tainment YouTube channel story in 2019." service where so much is zation.
the dissent that YouTube Joinen, which has more In particular, the Rewind determined by subscriber YouTube's Wojcicki, how-
CEO Susan Wojcicki sort-of than 200,000 subscribers. video appeared to steer loyalty. ever, did respond directly
apologized and reached "It's pretty much an ad for clear of some popular but Many YouTubers respond- to a PewDiePie video on
out directly to at least one YouTube." controversial video cre- ed to Rewind by posting the subject. In a comment,
neglected YouTuber. Video creators disillu- ators. It featured more than reaction videos expressing she pointed creators to an
The outcry highlights the sioned with YouTube don't a dozen celebrities who their disappointment. Kjell- official video explaining
challenges YouTube faces have many alternatives. used YouTube to launch berg made his own version demonetization and not-
as it tries to navigate the Although there are other their fame, as well as main- of Rewind, which heav- ing that YouTube still pro-
tension between creators options — Snapchat, and stream celebs such as Will ily featured what many motes demonetized videos
who make the videos, an increasingly competi- Smith and Trevor Noah. thought YouTube's video through its recommenda-
some of them controver- tive Instagram — it's still the But it excluded one of was missing - himself. (That, tion engine.
sial, and the advertisers first place viewers turn to the top YouTube stars, Fe- and memes.) It garnered Majoinen and other cre-
who fuel profits. watch videos. And it's the lix Kjellberg. The Swedish more than 7 million likes. ators say they're standing
YouTube is an increasingly most viable way to make YouTuber who goes by Companies know adver- behind YouTube.
important business for par- money, Majoinen said. PewDiePie has 86 million tising on YouTube can be "I'm optimistic they'll contin-
ent company Google. Al- Creators who have enough followers. YouTube has dis- risky, but it also attracts ue to work on blind spots,"
though Google doesn't subscribers to their video tanced itself from him after an audience that can be said Marques Brownlee,
break out YouTube rev- channels — usually more he made jokes criticized otherwise hard to reach, who appeared in the Re-
enue, the research firm than 1,000 — can apply to as anti-Semitic and posted eMarketer principal analyst wind video and runs a tech
eMarketer estimates that get paid a sliding rate when Nazi imagery in his videos. Paul Verna said. review YouTube channel
YouTube ad revenue grew enough viewers watch ads YouTube also excluded Lo- Advertisers flexed their that has 7.8 million follow-
to $9.5 billion in 2018, up 22 that run with their videos. gan Paul, who made an muscles in early 2017 and ers. His own reaction video
percent from the year be- In her quarterly blog post infamous video in Japan's began boycotting the site to Rewind also noted its ad-
fore. YouTube makes some to YouTubers, Wojcicki ac- Aokigahara forest, some- until it could prevent their vertiser-friendliness.
of its own videos, but relies knowledged that her kids times called the "suicide ads from appearing next There is good news for
heavily on outsiders for the found the Rewind video forest," which appeared to to extremist clips promoting one artist in all this — Jus-
vast majority. "cringey." show a dead body hang- hate and violence. tin Bieber no longer has
As YouTube grows, it's eas- "We hear you that it didn't ing from a tree and Paul The boycott was short lived, the most disliked video, a
ier for YouTubers to feel accurately show the year's giggling and joking about but smaller boycotts have title he previously held for
slighted by YouTube's at- key moments, nor did it it. popped up since, includ- the music video of his song
tentiveness to advertisers. reflect the YouTube you Kjellberg and Paul have ing one over the past week "Baby."q
China to use facial recognition to thwart scalpers

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese places to tighten Commu- pear regularly to make to see a doctor, creating a aggressively applying fa-
hospitals are using facial nist Party control over the appointments, then turn lucrative secondary mar- cial recognition technol-
recognition to identify country's 1.4 billion people. around and sell them to ket for scalpers to sell them ogy in everything from dis-
people who sell doctors' More than 30 hospitals in others for a profit, state me- better numbers and save tribution of toilet paper by
appointments at an illegal Beijing have installed the dia said Sunday. Chinese on waiting time. public lavatories to identify-
markup, the latest applica- technology and have al- public hospitals require pa- China's markets are rife ing jaywalkers — virtually in
tion of an emerging tech- ready identified more than tients to line up for appoint- with counterfeit goods and real time.q
nology that is being used in 2,100 individuals who ap- ments on the day they wish fraud, and China has been