Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

YouTube

2025-10-30T08:18:56Z

-u-n-: /*AI upscaling without consent*/ Rename section, add flickering issue

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{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube |website=Wikipedia |access-date=30 Jan 2025}}</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Consumer Impact Summary==

*'''User Freedom''': Questionable; rampant bots and [[Elsagate]] suggest negligent moderation.
*'''User Privacy''': Poor; Since August 2025, accessing mature content without identification is a gamble. User data is also sold to advertisers and the site is owned by [[Google]].
*'''Business Model''': [[Advertising overload|Excessive advertising]], YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite
*'''Market Competition''': Despite several platforms that follow its niche, such as Odysee, PeerTube, and DailyMotion, they provide no significant competition.

==Incidents==

===Restricting users that don't share their personal information===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}

On July 30, 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched, and will ask for previously mentioned personal information when it believes that the user falls below 18.

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date= |url-status=live}}</ref> This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jordan |last=Brown |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |website=33rd Square |date=20 Jan 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Aamir |last=Siddiqui |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Hans-Christian |last=Dirscherl |first2=Joel |last2=Lee |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref> and most prevalent on YouTube TV, <ref>{{Cite web |first=Anu |last=Adegbola |title=YouTube tests longer CTV ad breaks |url= https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248#:~:text=YouTube%20is%20increasing%20the%20duration,ads%20over%20shorter%2C%20dispersed%20slots. |website=Search Engine Land |date=16 Aug 2024 |access-date=16 Aug 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>) increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Arol |last=Wright |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=@T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |first=Max |last=Knoblauch |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author= @Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=[[YouTube]] |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183511/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=19 Dec 2023
}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.{{Citation needed}} YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anurag |last=Singh |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace…
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Adamya |last=Sharma |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=[[YouTube]] |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217144248/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=[[YouTube]] |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/  |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=@Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl
|website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319182149/https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl  |archive-date=19 Mar 2025}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Malia |last=Disney |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=archive.yr.media |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |first=Randy |last=Cantz |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Julia |last=Alexander |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first=Chuck |last=Jines |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=[[YouTube]] |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last= Brodkin |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Andy |last=Maxwell
|title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===
The prevalence of advertising on the platform, coupled with the repeated appearance of harmful and deceptive ads within YouTube's advertising system, has led a significant number of users to employ ad-blocking tools to facilitate their viewing experience.

In response, Google has initiated technical countermeasures to limit the functionality of these tools. This has resulted in an ongoing cycle where ad-blocker developers adapt to new restrictions, and the platform subsequently implements further detection methods. A key strategy in this effort involves the implementation of advanced code integrity checks designed to ensure ad content is delivered to viewers.

However, these measures typically exhibit limited efficacy before ad-blocking tools develop new methods of circumvention,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=O'Flaherty |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Scharon |last=Harding |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> a dynamic that some analysts suggest exemplifies the<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref><nowiki> </nowiki>{{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

Additional strategies have involved the integration of advertisements directly into video streams. This approach has impaired the functionality of certain browser extensions, including SponsorBlock, a community-driven tool designed to skip sponsored segments within videos. The extension relies on user-submitted timestamps to identify these segments; its effectiveness is significantly reduced when personalized advertisements, which vary in duration and placement for each viewer, are embedded into the stream itself.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has publicly acknowledged implementing code that degrades the user experience for individuals using ad blockers. This includes introducing artificial latency, which has been documented to slow page load times, a measure that also affected users of the Firefox browser.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile application permits users with a YouTube Premium subscription to download videos for offline viewing. However, the downloaded content is protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) that requires the application to establish an online connection with YouTube's servers at least once every 48 hours to maintain playback functionality. This requirement is not prominently featured on the primary YouTube Premium marketing page and is detailed instead within the platform's support documentation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |title=YouTube Premium |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Saved videos are forcibly deleted after 29 days. [[Data_lock-in#Videos_downloaded_inside_the_YouTube_app|Data lock-in and proprietary encoding]] prevents the user from making permanent copies of videos, even those licensed under Creative Commons.<ref>[https://www.virtualcuriosities.com/articles/3383/warning-youtube-premium-downloads-arent-mp4-files Warning: Youtube Premium "Downloads" aren't MP4 Files - Virtual Curiosities]</ref><ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/L1S0SiBuJN8 Google is Locking Down Android - Mental Outlaw], 07:20</ref>

====Universal DRM testing and violation of Creative Commons licences====
YouTube on TV is an HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> One {{Wplink|Xbox 360}} user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation{{Citation needed|date=18 Aug 2025}}. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions
|url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.{{Citation needed}}

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related API, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Can |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>
===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. By default, this feature is enabled,<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 Apr 2025 |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |website=[[Google]]}}</ref> and the user is not immediately informed that it is enabled.

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results, which are marked as "related".{{Citation needed}} If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube started to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch.{{Citation needed}} This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered — especially if it still has low view counts — since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===High number of bots===
Upon the initial publication of a video, the comment section is frequently targeted by coordinated automated accounts.{{Citation needed}} These accounts often engage in disruptive activities, including attempts to direct users to external scams or artificially inflate engagement.{{Citation needed}}

These accounts commonly employ identifiable tactics, such as:

*Utilizing profile pictures of popular public figures or suggestive imagery.
*Reposting highly-liked comments from the same video, sometimes with minor edits if the comment gains significant traction.
*Posting generic comments that are irrelevant to the video's content or the channel's focus.

Despite consistent feedback from content creators and the broader community, effective platform-level measures to automatically detect and mitigate this activity appear limited.{{Citation needed}} Consequently, content creators and their moderation teams are often required to manually review and remove these comments on a per-video basis to maintain the quality and safety of their community interactions.{{Citation needed}}

===Crackdown against third-party front-ends===
Since the beginning of 2025, users have been reporting issues with 3rd-party frontends accessing the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Feb 2025 |title=Youtube changed something, again! |url=https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816014757/https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |archive-date=16 Aug 2025 |access-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref> For FreeTube, there has been a heightened amount of people receiving [[wikipedia:HTTP_403|403 errors]] associated with IP blocks when attempting to view videos via this frontend.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gevaarlijk |date=Jan 31, 2025 |title=[Bug]: [BAD_HTTP_STATUS: 403] Potential causes: IP block or streaming URL deciphering failed #6701 |url=https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube/issues/6701 |access-date=Aug 30, 2025 |website=[[GitHub]]}}</ref>

===AI filtering without consent===
YouTube is testing an experiment on Shorts content that enhances a video's detail without the creator's consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reisner |first=Alex |date=August 22, 2025 |title=YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’ |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 26, 2025 |website=The Register}}</ref> The resulting output tends to look plastic. This change has been observed as early as June 27, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |author=Ulincsys |date=June 27, 2025 |title=YouTube Shorts are almost certainly being AI upscaled |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1lllnse/youtube_shorts_are_almost_certainly_being_ai/ |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> and affects creators who especially intend the video to be viewed in a certain way, such as the "VHS look".<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2025 |title=YouTube Shorts are becoming AI upscaled without consent from creators |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 26, 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> Rhett Shull, in his video, opines such a change "will inevitably erode viewers trust in my content [...] or any of the other creators on this platform that we all watch and we all follow" due to implications that the creator may be using AI, and "also erodes my trust in the platform."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shull |first=Rhett |date=2025-08-14 |title=YouTube Is Using AI to Alter Content (and not telling us) |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |url-status=live |access-date=August 26, 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

Artist Sam Yang uploaded a video on the August 30th, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yang |first=Sam |date=30 Aug 2025 |title=Youtube is Using AI on Your Shorts Without Consent.. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjnQ-s7LW-g |url-status=live |website=Youtube}}</ref> following up on the issue using his own work for comparison, testing the claims that this is merely compression scaling, adding an artist's eye and commentary to the issue.

Users complained about a dangerous flickering that happens under some videos. Some forwarded this issue to YouTube scientist Anton Petrov, to which he replicated the issue and showed it under a video uploaded October 25, 2025, noting it happens on one of his devices, more specifically a mobile phone.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Petrov |first=Anton |date=2025-10-25 |title=YouTube AI Filter Is Making My Videos Dangerous To Watch |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HY-nREvVu4 |url-status=live |access-date=October 30, 2025 |website=YouTube}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />

[[Category:YouTube]]

Category:Companies using forced arbitration clauses

2025-09-25T18:56:16Z

-u-n-: Fix link, add to category

These are companies which have one or more products which use [[forced arbitration]] clauses in their EULAs or other legal documents.

[[Category:Companies]]

Category:Netflix Games

2025-09-25T18:53:21Z

-u-n-: Netflix category

Articles regarding [[Netflix]] Games, which allows users who have an active subscription to play the games within their catalogue.

[[Category:Netflix]]

Category:Digital ownership

2025-09-25T18:50:54Z

-u-n-: Attempt to categorize category

Digital ownership is the right to have complete control over the things a person buys or owns. This can relate to things like digital movies, video games, and any other digital content.

[[Category:Consumer rights]]

Artificial intelligence

2025-09-25T17:50:44Z

-u-n-: /*Unethical website scraping*/ Rename section, add brief information

{{Irrelevant}}{{ToneWarning}}

'''Artificial intelligence''' (AI) is a field of computer science producing systems that aim to solve problems which humans solve by using intelligence. Under the consumer and industry space, it is commonly referred to as chatbots or [[wikipedia:Large language model|large language models]] (LLMs), which have been a main focus of industry
since the November 2022 launch of [[ChatGPT]], with tens of billions of dollars in funding allocated to producing more popular LLMs. Also a significant focus are [[wikipedia:Text-to-image model|text-to-image models]], which "draw" an image using written prompt, and less commonly, [[wikipedia:Text-to-video model|text-to-video models]], which extend the text-to-image concept across several smooth video frames.

So far, no AI solutions are intelligent. AI is not a new concept - it has been of interest as early as the 1950s. AI is a catch-all, it encompasses many areas and techniques, so merely saying that something uses AI tells one little about it.

[[wikipedia:Generative artificial intelligence|Generative artificial intelligence]] models are trained through vast amounts of existing human-generated content. Using the example of an LLM, by gathering statistics on patterns of words that people use, the model can generate sequences of words that seem similar to what a person might have written. LLM do not understand anything, they can not reason. Everything they generate is just a randomly modulated pattern of tokens. People reading sequences of tokens sometimes see things they think of as being true. Sequences which do not make sense to the reader, or which are false are called [[wikipedia:Hallucination (artificial intelligence)|hallucination]]. LLM are typically trained to produce output which is pleasing to people, exhibiting [[dark patterns]], for example they often produce output which seems confidently-written, use patterns which praise the user (sycophancy) and emotionally manipulative language.

LLM are a glorified autocomplete. People are used to dealing with people, and many overestimate the abilities of things that exhibit complex, person like patterns. Promoters of “AI” systems take advantage of this tendency, using suggestive names (like “reasoning,” and “learning”) and grand claims (“PHD level”), which make it harder for people to understand these systems.

From November 2022 to 2025, venture capitalists and companies threw hundreds of billions into AI, but received minimal returns. When companies seek returns, consumers can expect that products may be orphaned, services may be reduced, customer data to be sold or repurposed, costs to rise, and companies to reduce staff or fail. Historically, AI has had brief periods of intense hype, followed by disillusionment, and “AI winters.”

The current well-funded, industry of artificial intelligence tools has resulted in rampant unethical use of content. Startups intending to produce AI services have been scraping the internet for content to train future models at a fast pace, and members of the field are concerned that they are approaching the limit of publicly-available content to train from.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tremayne-Pengelly |first=Alexandra |date=16 Dec 2024 |title=Ilya Sutskever Warns A.I. Is Running Out of Data—Here’s What Will Happen Next |url=https://observer.com/2024/12/openai-cofounder-ilya-sutskever-ai-data-peak/ |website=Observer}}</ref>

==Why is it a problem==
===Unethical training of data===
:Further reading: [[Artificial intelligence/training]]

User's works are sometimes silently trained without the user's explicit consent, as was the case for [[Adobe's AI policy]].

===Privacy concerns of online AI models===
There are several concerns with using online AI models like [[ChatGPT]] ([[OpenAI]]), not only because they are proprietary, but also because there is no guarantee to where your data ends up being stored or used for. Recent developments in local AI models are an alternative to these online AI models, as they work offline once they are downloaded from platforms like [https://huggingface.co/ HuggingFace]. Common models to run are like Llama ([[Meta]]), DeepSeek ([[DeepSeek]]), Phi ([[Microsoft]]), Mistral ([[Mistral AI]]), Gemma ([[Google]]).

In some cases, these AI models can also be hijacked for malicious purposes. Demonstrated from the usage of Comet ([[Perplexity]]), users can run arbitrary prompts to the browser's built-in AI assistant via hiding text in the HTML comments, non-visible webpage text, or simple comments on a webpage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 20, 2025 |title=Tweet from Brave |url=https://xcancel.com/brave/status/1958152314914508893#m |access-date=Aug 24, 2025 |website=X (formerly [[Twitter]])}}</ref> These arbitrary prompts can then be abused to hijack sensitive information, or worse, break into high-value accounts, such as for banking or game libraries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 23, 2025 |title=Tweet from zack (in SF) |url=https://xcancel.com/zack_overflow/status/1959308058200551721 |access-date=Aug 24, 2025 |website=X (formerly [[Twitter]])}}</ref>

==Further reading==

*[[Dark pattern]]
*[[Automatic Content Recognition]]
*[[Palantir]]
*[[Meta]]
*[[Yandex]]
*[[TikTok & AI-powered Ad Tracking]]
*[[Flock License Plate Readers]]
*[[Ring]]
*[[Waymo]]
*[[Google]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Artificial intelligence]]

Artificial intelligence

2025-09-25T17:33:49Z

-u-n-: Reword starting paragraph a bit, classify problems in common section

{{Irrelevant}}{{ToneWarning}}

'''Artificial intelligence''' (AI) is a field of computer science producing systems that aim to solve problems which humans solve by using intelligence. Under the consumer and industry space, it is commonly referred to as chatbots or [[wikipedia:Large language model|large language models]] (LLMs), which have been a main focus of industry
since the November 2022 launch of [[ChatGPT]], with tens of billions of dollars in funding allocated to producing more popular LLMs. Also a significant focus are [[wikipedia:Text-to-image model|text-to-image models]], which "draw" an image using written prompt, and less commonly, [[wikipedia:Text-to-video model|text-to-video models]], which extend the text-to-image concept across several smooth video frames.

So far, no AI solutions are intelligent. AI is not a new concept - it has been of interest as early as the 1950s. AI is a catch-all, it encompasses many areas and techniques, so merely saying that something uses AI tells one little about it.

[[wikipedia:Generative artificial intelligence|Generative artificial intelligence]] models are trained through vast amounts of existing human-generated content. Using the example of an LLM, by gathering statistics on patterns of words that people use, the model can generate sequences of words that seem similar to what a person might have written. LLM do not understand anything, they can not reason. Everything they generate is just a randomly modulated pattern of tokens. People reading sequences of tokens sometimes see things they think of as being true. Sequences which do not make sense to the reader, or which are false are called [[wikipedia:Hallucination (artificial intelligence)|hallucination]]. LLM are typically trained to produce output which is pleasing to people, exhibiting [[dark patterns]], for example they often produce output which seems confidently-written, use patterns which praise the user (sycophancy) and emotionally manipulative language.

LLM are a glorified autocomplete. People are used to dealing with people, and many overestimate the abilities of things that exhibit complex, person like patterns. Promoters of “AI” systems take advantage of this tendency, using suggestive names (like “reasoning,” and “learning”) and grand claims (“PHD level”), which make it harder for people to understand these systems.

From November 2022 to 2025, venture capitalists and companies threw hundreds of billions into AI, but received minimal returns. When companies seek returns, consumers can expect that products may be orphaned, services may be reduced, customer data to be sold or repurposed, costs to rise, and companies to reduce staff or fail. Historically, AI has had brief periods of intense hype, followed by disillusionment, and “AI winters.”

The current well-funded, industry of artificial intelligence tools has resulted in rampant unethical use of content. Startups intending to produce AI services have been scraping the internet for content to train future models at a fast pace, and members of the field are concerned that they are approaching the limit of publicly-available content to train from.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tremayne-Pengelly |first=Alexandra |date=16 Dec 2024 |title=Ilya Sutskever Warns A.I. Is Running Out of Data—Here’s What Will Happen Next |url=https://observer.com/2024/12/openai-cofounder-ilya-sutskever-ai-data-peak/ |website=Observer}}</ref>

==Why is it a problem==
===Unethical website scraping===

:Further reading: [[Artificial intelligence/training]]

===Privacy concerns of online AI models===
There are several concerns with using online AI models like [[ChatGPT]] ([[OpenAI]]), not only because they are proprietary, but also because there is no guarantee to where your data ends up being stored or used for. Recent developments in local AI models are an alternative to these online AI models, as they work offline once they are downloaded from platforms like [https://huggingface.co/ HuggingFace]. Common models to run are like Llama ([[Meta]]), DeepSeek ([[DeepSeek]]), Phi ([[Microsoft]]), Mistral ([[Mistral AI]]), Gemma ([[Google]]).

In some cases, these AI models can also be hijacked for malicious purposes. Demonstrated from the usage of Comet ([[Perplexity]]), users can run arbitrary prompts to the browser's built-in AI assistant via hiding text in the HTML comments, non-visible webpage text, or simple comments on a webpage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 20, 2025 |title=Tweet from Brave |url=https://xcancel.com/brave/status/1958152314914508893#m |access-date=Aug 24, 2025 |website=X (formerly [[Twitter]])}}</ref> These arbitrary prompts can then be abused to hijack sensitive information, or worse, break into high-value accounts, such as for banking or game libraries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Aug 23, 2025 |title=Tweet from zack (in SF) |url=https://xcancel.com/zack_overflow/status/1959308058200551721 |access-date=Aug 24, 2025 |website=X (formerly [[Twitter]])}}</ref>

==Further reading==

*[[Dark pattern]]
*[[Automatic Content Recognition]]
*[[Palantir]]
*[[Meta]]
*[[Yandex]]
*[[TikTok & AI-powered Ad Tracking]]
*[[Flock License Plate Readers]]
*[[Ring]]
*[[Waymo]]
*[[Google]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Artificial intelligence]]

TikTok

2025-09-25T16:56:29Z

-u-n-: Link incident

{{Stub}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=[[ByteDance]]
|ReleaseYear=2016
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Social media
|Logo=Tiktok PNG1-1180843710.png
|Website=https://tiktok.com
|Description=Social media platform famous for popularizing short-form content.
}}

[[wikipedia:TikTok|TikTok]] is a social media platform developed by the Chinese internet technology company [[ByteDance|ByteDance Ltd]]. The app has been cited with numerous privacy concerns that eventually led to a US state ban in May 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archie |first=Ayana |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Montana becomes the first state to ban TikTok |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176805559/montana-tiktok-ban |access-date=Aug 13, 2025 |website=NPR}}</ref>

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

===User freedom===
*The app version requires an account to use the service.

===User privacy===
As per Privacy Policy:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/row/privacy-policy/en |access-date=Aug 14, 2025 |website=TikTok}}</ref>
*Automatically collects unreasonable heaps of information to fingerprint the user:
<blockquote>
:'''Technical Information we collect about you.''' We collect certain information about the device you use to access the Platform, such as your IP address, user agent, mobile carrier, time zone settings, identifiers for advertising purposes, model of your device, the device system, network type, your screen resolution and operating system, app and file names and types, keystroke patterns or rhythms, battery state, audio settings and connected audio devices. [...]
</blockquote>
:*"Keystroke patterns or rhythms" is particularly notable as the in-app browser has been demonstrated to listen to inputs from keyboard and screen, as well as injecting JavaScript code.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krause |first=Felix |date=Aug 18, 2022 |title=iOS Privacy: Announcing InAppBrowser.com - see what JavaScript commands get injected through an in-app browser |url=https://krausefx.com/blog/announcing-inappbrowsercom-see-what-javascript-commands-get-executed-in-an-in-app-browser#tiktok |access-date=Aug 14, 2025 |quote=While you are interacting with the website, TikTok subscribes to all keyboard inputs (including passwords, credit card information, etc.) and every tap on the screen, like which buttons and links you click.}}</ref>
*Also collects approximate location based on "SIM card and/or IP address" and precise location such as GPS.
*Serves personalized advertisements and runs its own [[TikTok & AI-powered Ad Tracking|AI-powered analytics tool for advertisers]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=TikTok will give advertisers even more data on trends and users |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/678255/tiktok-advertiser-summit-ai-targeting-data-seo |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Incident
!Year
!Background Info
!Aftermath
!Related Article
!Related Video
|-
|Violations of Children's Privacy Laws
|2019-current
|In 2019, the US Department of Justice sued TikTok and parent company [[ByteDance]] as well as it's associated companies for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act ([https://www.coppa.org/coppa/ COPPA]). The companies knowingly allowed children under 13 to make accounts and unlawfully collected data and personal information of said children without parental consent.<ref name="DOJ-COPPA">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-02 |title=Justice Department Sues TikTok and Parent Company ByteDance for Widespread Violations of Children’s Privacy Laws |url=https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-tiktok-and-parent-company-bytedance-widespread-violations-childrens |url-status=dead |website=Justice.gov}}</ref>
|TikTok, as of 2020, still has complains about allegedly still collecting and using personal data of children under 13.
|https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/ftc-investigation-leads-lawsuit-against-tiktok-bytedance-flagrantly-violating-childrens-privacy-law
|
|-
|Suppressing "ugly", poor, or disabled creators
|2020-present
|[https://theintercept.com/ The Intercept] published a report in 2020 stating that obtained internal documents from TikTok instructed moderators to limit the amount of videos with people who have "ugly facial looks". "abnormal body shape", or are in poor or dirty environments. The documents claim that these types of videos are "not the ideal video form of our platform"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Biddle1 Ribero2 Dias3 |first=Sam1 Paulo Victor2 Tatiana3 |date=2020-03-16 |title=Invisible Censorship |url=https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/tiktok-app-moderators-users-discrimination/ |website=The Intercept}}</ref>
|A TikTok spokesperson stated that the guidelines were “an early blunt attempt at preventing bullying but are no longer in place"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Itimu |first=Kiruti |date=2020-03-17 |title=TikTok Apparently Suppressed Content From Ugly or Poor People |url=https://techweez.com/2020/03/17/tiktok-apparently-suppresses-content-from-ugly-and-poor-people/ |website=Techweez}}</ref>
|[https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6810010/pages/Ugly-Content-Policy-p1-large.gif The documents themselves]
|
|}

===GDPR infringement Article Article 13(1)(f) & Article 46(1) GDPR (''May. 2025'')===
On May 2, 2025 the Irish Supervisory Authority fines TikTok a total of €530 million for infringement of Articles 13(1)(f) GDPR and Article 46(1) GDPR. The Irish Supervisory Authority (SA) has ordered TikTok to suspend the transfer of data from users in the EEA to the People’s Republic of China and to bring its processing operations into compliance with Chapter V of the GDPR within a period of 6 months.<ref>Irish Supervisory Authority fines TikTok €530 million and orders corrective measures following Inquiry into transfers of EEA User Data to China (2025, Jul, 04). edpb.europa.eu. Retrieved Aug 16, 2025, from https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2025/irish-supervisory-authority-fines-tiktok-eu530-million-and-orders-corrective_en</ref>

On Friday, August 2, 2024, the US sued TikTok, and its affiliates for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”), and it's rules. The DOJ alleges TikTok collected, stored, and processed large amounts of data from millions of child users on its app.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Nicole |date=5 Aug 2024 |title=U.S. Sues TikTok for Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Violations |url=https://www.hunton.com/hunton-retail-law-resource/u-s-sues-tiktok-for-childrens-online-privacy-protection-act-coppa-violations}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[ByteDance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:TikTok| ]]
[[Category:Social media companies]]

TikTok and AI-powered ad tracking

2025-09-25T16:55:08Z

-u-n-: Link social media article

{{StubNotice}}

{{DISPLAYTITLE:TikTok AI- Powered Tracking: Insight Spotlight and Content Suite}}
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=TikTok Inc.
|StartDate=2025-06-03
|Status=Active
|ProductLine=Tiktok Inc., TikTok One, Insight Spotlight, Content Suite
|ArticleType=Service
|Type=Privacy
|Description=In 2025, TikTok unveiled new AI-driven tools like Insight Spotlight and Content Suite that are AI-powered trackers for the purpose of advertisement.
}}
In 2025, [[TikTok]] unveiled new AI-driven tools like Insight Spotlight and Content Suite<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=June 4, 2025 |title=TikTok will give advertisers even more data on trends and users |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/678255/tiktok-advertiser-summit-ai-targeting-data-seo |access-date=2025-09-01 |work=The Verge}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=TikTok Inc. |date=2025-06-03 |title=Insights Spotlight: Stay Ahead Of Trends |url=https://ads.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/insights-spotlight-trends-tool |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=TikTok}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=TikTok Inc. |date=2025-06-03 |title=Content Suite: Find & Amplify The Best UGC |url=https://ads.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/content-suite-creator-ugc-library |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=TikTok}}</ref>, designed to help brands target users with unprecedented and invasive precision. However, while TikTok highlights the benefits for advertisers and engagement, the changes raise even more concerns about data harvesting, privacy, and the ethical use of user-generated content.

==Background==
In June 2025, TikTok announced a series of new features aimed at enhancing advertiser capabilities. These features include ''Insight Spotlight''<ref name=":0" />, which analyses user demographics, search behaviors, and viewing trends to generate AI-powered ad suggestions for brands and companies. In addition to this, ''Content Suite''<ref name=":1" /> has been introduced, which filters user-generated videos mentioning a brand or product for potential conversion into advertisement. These tools, according to TikTok, will allow companies to understand “... what matters to viewers and what will make them stop and watch”<ref name=":0" />. Furthermore, increase engagement with users of the application by aligning ads with real-time cultural trends. However, critics argue that the increased data harvesting and reliance on user interactions for targeted advertising deepens existing concerns about privacy, transparency, and the commodification of sensitive or socially significant movements<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Incogni Research |date=2025-08-05 |title=10 popular apps that collect extensive personal data on Americans are foreign-owned |url=https://blog.incogni.com/popular-foreign-apps/ |access-date=2025-09-01 |website=Blog Incogni}}</ref>. As TikTok already collects more than two dozen categories of user data, including personal identifiers, browsing history, and in-app activity, consumer advocates have called for greater accountability and clearer user control over how this information is gathered and used<ref name=":2" />.

==Community Concerns==
Criticism of TikTok’s expanded advertiser tools has centered on data privacy and the overwhelming extent of information collected from users<ref>{{Cite news |last=Laurinavičius |first=Rokas |last2=Baliūnaitė |first2=Ilona |date=Jun 25, 2020 |title=Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals The Scary Things He Learned, Advises People To Stay Away From It |url=https://www.boredpanda.com/tik-tok-reverse-engineered-data-information-collecting/ |access-date=2025-09-05 |work=BoredPanda}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Klais |first=Brian |date=2022-01-20 |title=New Research Across 200 iOS Apps Hints that Surveillance Marketing is Still Going Strong |url=https://app.urlgeni.us/blog/new-research-across-200-ios-apps-hints-surveillance-marketing-may-still-be-going-strong |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=URL Genius}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Huddleston Jr |first=Tom |date=2022-02-08 |title=TikTok shares your data more than any other social media app — and it’s unclear where it goes, study says |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/08/tiktok-shares-your-data-more-than-any-other-social-media-app-study.html |access-date=2025-09-05 |work=CNBC}}</ref>. A 2025 report by Incogni Research in August identified TikTok as the most data-hungry major social media platform, noting that it collects over two dozen categories of personal data, including names, addresses, phone numbers, financial information, in-app messages, photos, videos, browsing history, and device identifiers<ref name=":2" />. Six of these categories — including names, addresses, and user-generated content — are shared with third-party entities for purposes such as targeted advertising<ref name=":2" />.

These are just some of the data-categories TikTok collects from its users<ref name=":2" />:

*Approximate Location
*Name
*User Identification
*Email
*Address
*Phone Number
*User Payment Information
*Other Financial Information
*Purchase History
*In-App Messages
*Photo’s
*Video’s
*Sound Recordings
*Contacts
*App Interactions
*In-App Searches
*Web-Browsing History
*Crash Logs
*Diagnostics
*Device & Other ID’s

Additionally, sharing six of these data-collects with third-party entities for numerous reasons including to assist in advertisement targeting, these include<ref name=":2" />:

*Name,
*Identification (residential address and phone number),
*Photos,
*Videos,
*Sound/voice recordings
*Other user-generated content.

With the rollout of AI features like Insight Spotlight, which incorporates search history, in-app activity, and engagement patterns, advocates have raised concerns about the degree of surveillance required to fuel such tools<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Ahmed |first=Deeba |date=2025-08-25 |title=Study Reveals TikTok, Alibaba, Temu Collect Extensive User Data in America |url=https://hackread.com/study-tiktok-alibaba-temu-collect-us-user-data/ |access-date=2025-09-01 |work=HackRead}}</ref>. According to Incogni’s Head, Darius Belejevas, “Many of these apps are quietly collecting and sharing personal information like names, addresses, and approximate locations, leaving users extremely vulnerable to third-party breaches…People deserve to know how and where their information is being used, along with ways to manage or prevent that use,”<ref name=":3" />.

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:TikTok]]

Google Chrome

2025-08-31T08:30:49Z

-u-n-: Standardize citations; remove Wikipedia citation

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
| Release Year =2008
| Product Type =Web Browser
| In Production =Yes
| Official Website =https://www.google.com/chrome/
| Logo =Google Chrome logo and wordmark (2015).png
|short_description=Search engine}}'''[[wikipedia:Google_Chrome|Google Chrome]]''' is a web browser created by [[Google]]. Since its inception, it has become the most used browser on the internet by a large margin.
==Consumer impact summary==
===User freedom===
Chrome significantly impacts user freedom through its default settings, extension policies, and integration with Google's ecosystem. The browser's dominance allows Google to influence web standards, potentially creating a web environment that works best with Chrome.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Munir |first1=Shaoor |last2=Kollnig |first2=Konrad |last3=Shuba |first3=Anastasia |last4=Shafiq |first4=Zubair |title=Google's Chrome Antitrust Paradox |date=April 2024 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381517906_Google's_Chrome_Antitrust_Paradox |website=ResearchGate |archive-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381517906_Google%27s_Chrome_Antitrust_Paradox |archive-date=July 9, 2025 |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Users face potential lock-in through seamless integration with Google services, making switching to alternative browsers more difficult. Additionally, Google's control over Chrome's extension ecosystem has raised concerns, particularly when the company has proposed changes that would limit the effectiveness of ad-blocking extensions, potentially prioritizing Google's advertising business over user choice.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Danco |first=Alex |date= June 1, 2019 |title=Google Chrome, the perfect antitrust villain? |url=https://alexdanco.com/2019/05/30/google-chrome-the-perfect-antitrust-villain/ |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>
===User privacy===
Chrome's privacy practices have been a significant concern for consumer advocates. As a Google product, Chrome collects substantial user data including browsing history, search queries, and site visits to serve targeted advertisements and improve Google services.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=The Dark Side of Google: A Closer Look at Privacy Concerns |date=March 26, 2023 |url=https://campaignsoftheworld.com/news/the-dark-side-of-google/ |website=Campaignsoftheworld.com |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> The browser's implementation of privacy features like "Do Not Track" has been criticized for being ineffective, as Google noted that "many websites and web services, including Google's, don't change their behavior when they receive a Do Not Track request."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Turn 'Do Not Track' on or off - Computer - Google Chrome Help|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2790761 |website=Google |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Additionally, Chrome's privacy initiatives like the Privacy Sandbox have been viewed skeptically by privacy advocates who argue that these proposals often protect Google's business interests rather than user privacy.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=EFF |title=Don't Play in Google's Privacy Sandbox |date=July 10, 2020 |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/dont-play-googles-privacy-sandbox-1 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>
===Business model===
Chrome's business model is deeply integrated with Google's broader advertising ecosystem. The browser serves as a critical data collection point for Google's advertising business, which generates the majority of the company's revenue.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=DOJ Pushes Google to Sell Chrome and Break Monopoly |date=November 20, 2024 |url=https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2024/11/google-faces-doj-antitrust-push-will-chrome-ai-and-android-be-broken-apart/ |website=CEOToday Magazine |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> Chrome's default settings direct users to Google Search, which in turn displays Google advertisements. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where Chrome usage fuels Google's search dominance, which consequently enhances its advertising business. The connection between Chrome and Google's advertising business has also influenced browser design decisions, such as how Chrome handles cookies and tracking, which may prioritize advertising effectiveness over user privacy.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Rivero |first=
Nicolás |title=What if antitrust regulators forced Google to sell Chrome? |date=July 20, 2022 |url=https://qz.com/1930645/what-happens-to-google-if-regulators-force-it-to-sell-off-chrome |website=Quartz |access-date=May 7, 2025 }}</ref>
===Market control===
Chrome's dominant market position gives Google significant control over web standards and browser technology. With approximately 65% global market share as of 2025, Chrome has become the de facto standard browser for many users and developers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Market share of leading internet browsers in the United States and worldwide as of August 2024 |date=June 21, 2024 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/276738/worldwide-and-us-market-share-of-leading-internet-browsers/ |website=Statista |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref> This market control allows Google to influence the direction of web technology development, often in ways that benefit its business interests. For example, Google's proposals for replacing third-party cookies through its [[wikipedia:Privacy Sandbox|Privacy Sandbox]] initiative have faced criticism for potentially strengthening Google's position while weakening competitors in the advertising ecosystem.{{Citation needed}} Chrome's market dominance has attracted significant antitrust scrutiny, with the U.S. Department of Justice pushing for Google to divest Chrome as part of remedies following an antitrust case that found Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Elias |first=Jennifer |title=DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case CNBC |date=November 21, 2024 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/20/doj-pushes-for-google-to-break-off-chrome-browser-after-antitrust-case.html |website=CNBC |access-date=May 7, 2025}}</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Anti-Competitive Practices===
Google uses the market dominance of their unrelated products and services, such as web search or cloud storage services, to display intrusive messages such as popups aimed to annoy users to the point where they give up and change to Chrome.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-08-19 |title=How do I stop Google pop ups asking me to switch my browser to Chrome? |url=https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/175747071/how-do-i-stop-google-pop-ups-asking-me-to-switch-my-browser-to-chrome?hl=en |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Google Support Community}}</ref> Not because they want to, but to escape the deliberate obstructions Google creates for them when accessing Google services with competing browsers.

Moreover, Google has in the past deliberately degraded performance of their video platform [[YouTube]] for users accessing the website using the competing Firefox browser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Jake |date=2023-11-21 |title=How to Stop Google From Artificially Slowing Down YouTube |url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/stop-google-slowing-down-youtube-firefox-edge |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=LifeHacker}}</ref>

===Discontinuation of Manifest V2 support (''2024'')===
Google, whose main business is online advertising, has discontinued support for browser extensions using the Manifest V2 standard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manifest V2 support timeline |url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]]}}</ref> This renders advertising/tracking blockers such as uBlock Origin unusable and deactivates the corresponding plugins on update. Only versions with very limited blocking functionality remain usable.

Users who wish to continue to use the web without their every step being traced by Google and other advertising syndicates have no other option but to switch to a different browser such as [[Mozilla]] Firefox or Vivaldi, which have all pledged to retain full Manifest V2 compatibility in their browsers.

==See also==
*[[Brave browser]]
*[[DuckDuckGo Browser]]
*[[Firefox]]
*[[Microsoft Edge]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Fossify

2025-08-31T07:49:01Z

-u-n-: /*Products*/ List products, fix citation

{{ProductLineCargo
|Company=FossifyOrg
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Product
|Category=Software
|Logo=Logo.x5e2U6to.png
|Website=https://www.fossify.org, https://github.com/FossifyOrg
|Description=A collection of apps forked from Simple Mobile Tools that replace big-tech native apps on Android devices with simple, private alternatives.
}}'''FossifyOrg''' develops and maintains a suite of stripped down, privacy-respecting applications, which were originally forked from Simple Mobile Tools.<ref>https://www.fossify.org/about/</ref><ref>https://simplemobiletools.com/index.html</ref> The applications are available via the [[Google Play Store]] though can be obtained via [[F-Droid]], etc. as well. The GitHub repo gives an exhaustive list of the actively maintained applications.<ref name=":0">https://github.com/FossifyOrg</ref> Highlights include a calendar, music player, gallery, and more.

==Consumer-impact summary==
The project is user supported.<ref>https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Thank-You</ref> As for privacy, unless crucial to functioning, the apps do not request internet access and maintain the minimalist design language of the Simple Mobile Tools.<ref>https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Launcher</ref>

==Incidents==
None to report.

==Products==
Sourced from the repository:<ref name=":0" />
<div style="columns:3">
* Fossify Calculator
* Fossify Calendar
* Fossify Camera
* Fossify Clock
* Fossify Contacts
* Fossify File Manager
* Fossify Flashlight
* Fossify Gallery
* Fossify Keyboard
* Fossify Launcher
* Fossify Messages
* Fossify Music Player
* Fossify Notes
* Fossify Paint
* Fossify Phone
* Fossify Voice Recorder
</div>

==See also==
*[[Privacy preserving applications]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Pro-consumer articles]]

Brave browser

2025-08-31T07:31:28Z

-u-n-: /*Consumer impact summary*/ Tagging as incomplete section

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = Brave Browser
| Release Year = 2016
| Product Type = Web Browser
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://brave.com/
| Logo = Changed-Brave-Browser-logo-sans-text.png
}}
'''Brave''' is a free and open source web browser based on chromium.<ref name=":0">Brave browser source code https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/</ref> Privacy focused by design, it comes equipped with a dedicated ad-blocker<ref>Brave rust based ad blocker source code https://github.com/brave/adblock-rust</ref> that operates independently from the Chromium codebase and is therefore not subject to [https://wiki.rossmanngroup.com/wiki/Chromium#Manifest_V3 Google's WebExtension update].

Launched in 2016 by Brave Software, the company's business model is primarily based on ad revenue generated through its [https://brave.com/fr/brave-rewards/ Brave Rewards Program]. More broadly, it leverages its own cryptocurrency, [https://basicattentiontoken.org/ Basic Attention Token (BAT)]. By opting into the Brave Rewards program, users receive occasional ad notifications on their desktop and have the option to donate BAT tokens to verified publishers, such as website owners and online creators.

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Incomplete section}}

Overview of concerns that arise from the conduct towards users of the product (if applicable):
===User Freedom===
===User Privacy===
===Business Model===
===Market Control===

==Incidents==

===Affiliated links in the address bar===
In June 2020, it was discovered that when users typed 'binance.us' into the address bar, they were suggested the url 'binance.us/en?ref=35089877', which included a referral code for Brave Software, Inc.<ref name=":1">Twitter thread from 6 June 2020 by @cryptonator1337 addressing the binance referral code injection https://web.archive.org/web/20200606164737/https://twitter.com/cryptonator1337/status/1269201480105578496</ref>

The issue was later addressed publicly by Brave's founder and CEO, [[wikipedia:Brendan_Eich|Brendan Eich]], who apologized and referred to the incident as a 'mistake'.<ref name=":2">Brendan Eich apologizing for the affiliated links issue on twitter https://web.archive.org/web/20200701040411/https://twitter.com/BrendanEich/status/1269313200127795201</ref>

===Unverified publishers and BAT Tips===
Before 2020, the Brave Rewards panel misled users by not clearly indicating whether the content creator they intended to tip was a verified publisher and, therefore, able to receive the BAT sent to them. This led users to believe that the publishers they tipped had received the funds, even if they had not.<ref name=":2" />

While Brave claims that all BAT purchased by users is held indefinitely until claimed by the publisher, this does not necessarily apply to BAT acquired through other means, such as promotional tokens gifted by Brave.<ref name=":1" />

Following the controversy, an update was implemented to clearly indicate in Brave whether a publisher was unaffiliated with the platform. Initially, tips sent to unverified creators were returned to the user after 90 days if unclaimed. This policy was later changed to completely prevent users from tipping unverified creators.<ref name=":0" />

===Controversial background services===
In October 2023, a user reported that Brave Browser had installed multiple binaries and services running in the background, which were updating themselves without their knowledge.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Oct 2023 |title=Brave has become malware |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-has-become-malware/510414 |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[Brave Community]]}}</ref> Upon further investigation, the user discovered that '''six services''' were operating with '''local system privileges''':

*'''Brave Elevation Service (Local System)'''
*'''Brave Update-Service “brave” (Local System)'''
*'''Brave Update-Service “bravem” (Local System)'''
*'''Brave VPN Service (Local System)'''
*'''Brave VPN Wireguard Service (Local System)'''

Additionally, the user found '''two tasks''' in the Windows Task Scheduler configured to run with the highest privileges. These tasks ensured that all six services remained active; if any service was disabled, the tasks would automatically reactivate and restart them.

The user criticized the use of '''local system privileges''' for network services, highlighting that such practices introduce significant security vulnerabilities and are generally unnecessary for a browser.

Even after uninstalling Brave, the user reported that '''update services, tasks, and binaries''' remained on their system, further exacerbating their concerns about Brave's intrusive behavior.

==See also==
*[[Google]]

*[[Yandex]]

*[[DuckDuckGo Browser|DuckDuckGo]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Google Chrome

2025-08-31T07:29:38Z

-u-n-: /*See also*/ Relevant browsers

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = {{PAGENAME}}
| Release Year =2008
| Product Type =Web Browser
| In Production =Yes
| Official Website =https://www.google.com/chrome/
| Logo =Google Chrome logo and wordmark (2015).png
|short_description=Search engine}}'''[[wikipedia:Google_Chrome|Google Chrome]]''' is a web browser created by [[Google]]. Since its inception, it has become the most used browser on the internet by a large margin.
==Consumer impact summary==
===User freedom===
Chrome significantly impacts user freedom through its default settings, extension policies, and integration with Google's ecosystem. The browser's dominance allows Google to influence web standards, potentially creating a web environment that works best with Chrome.<ref name=":1">Munir, S. et al. (2024). "Google's Chrome Antitrust Paradox". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381517906_Google's_Chrome_Antitrust_Paradox</ref> Users face potential lock-in through seamless integration with Google services, making switching to alternative browsers more difficult. Additionally, Google's control over Chrome's extension ecosystem has raised concerns, particularly when the company has proposed changes that would limit the effectiveness of ad-blocking extensions, potentially prioritizing Google's advertising business over user choice.<ref name=":2">Danco, A. (2019, June 1). "Google Chrome, the perfect antitrust villain?". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://alexdanco.com/2019/05/30/google-chrome-the-perfect-antitrust-villain/</ref>
===User privacy===
Chrome's privacy practices have been a significant concern for consumer advocates. As a Google product, Chrome collects substantial user data including browsing history, search queries, and site visits to serve targeted advertisements and improve Google services.<ref name=":3">Campaignsoftheworld.com. (2023, March 26). "The Dark Side of Google: A Closer Look at Privacy Concerns". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://campaignsoftheworld.com/news/the-dark-side-of-google/</ref> The browser's implementation of privacy features like "Do Not Track" has been criticized for being ineffective, as Google noted that "many websites and web services, including Google's, don't change their behavior when they receive a Do Not Track request."<ref name=":4">Google. "Turn 'Do Not Track' on or off - Computer - Google Chrome Help". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2790761</ref> Additionally, Chrome's privacy initiatives like the Privacy Sandbox have been viewed skeptically by privacy advocates who argue that these proposals often protect Google's business interests rather than user privacy.<ref name=":5">Electronic Frontier Foundation. (2020, July 10). "Don't Play in Google's Privacy Sandbox". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/08/dont-play-googles-privacy-sandbox-1</ref>
===Business model===
Chrome's business model is deeply integrated with Google's broader advertising ecosystem. The browser serves as a critical data collection point for Google's advertising business, which generates the majority of the company's revenue.<ref name=":6">CEOToday Magazine. (2024, November 20). "DOJ Pushes Google to Sell Chrome and Break Monopoly". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2024/11/google-faces-doj-antitrust-push-will-chrome-ai-and-android-be-broken-apart/</ref> Chrome's default settings direct users to Google Search, which in turn displays Google advertisements. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where Chrome usage fuels Google's search dominance, which consequently enhances its advertising business. The connection between Chrome and Google's advertising business has also influenced browser design decisions, such as how Chrome handles cookies and tracking, which may prioritize advertising effectiveness over user privacy.<ref name=":7">Quartz. (2022, July 20). "What if antitrust regulators forced Google to sell Chrome?". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://qz.com/1930645/what-happens-to-google-if-regulators-force-it-to-sell-off-chrome</ref>
===Market control===
Chrome's dominant market position gives Google significant control over web standards and browser technology. With approximately 65% global market share as of 2025, Chrome has become the de facto standard browser for many users and developers.<ref name=":0">Statista. (2024, June 21). "Market share of leading internet browsers in the United States and worldwide as of August 2024". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/276738/worldwide-and-us-market-share-of-leading-internet-browsers/</ref> This market control allows Google to influence the direction of web technology development, often in ways that benefit its business interests. For example, Google's proposals for replacing third-party cookies through its Privacy Sandbox initiative have faced criticism for potentially strengthening Google's position while weakening competitors in the advertising ecosystem.<ref name=":8">Wikipedia. (2024, November 15). "Privacy Sandbox". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_Sandbox</ref> Chrome's market dominance has attracted significant antitrust scrutiny, with the U.S. Department of Justice pushing for Google to divest Chrome as part of remedies following an antitrust case that found Google had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search.<ref name=":9">CNBC. (2024, November 21). "DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case". Retrieved May 7, 2025, from https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/20/doj-pushes-for-google-to-break-off-chrome-browser-after-antitrust-case.html</ref>

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Anti-Competitive Practices===
Google uses the market dominance of their unrelated products and services, such as web search or cloud storage services, to display intrusive messages such as popups aimed to annoy users to the point where they give up and change to Chrome.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-08-19 |title=How do I stop Google pop ups asking me to switch my browser to Chrome? |url=https://support.google.com/accounts/thread/175747071/how-do-i-stop-google-pop-ups-asking-me-to-switch-my-browser-to-chrome?hl=en |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Google Support Community}}</ref> Not because they want to, but to escape the deliberate obstructions Google creates for them when accessing Google services with competing browsers.

Moreover, Google has in the past deliberately degraded performance of their video platform [[YouTube]] for users accessing the website using the competing Firefox browser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Jake |date=2023-11-21 |title=How to Stop Google From Artificially Slowing Down YouTube |url=https://lifehacker.com/tech/stop-google-slowing-down-youtube-firefox-edge |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=LifeHacker}}</ref>

===Discontinuation of Manifest V2 support (''2024'')===
Google, whose main business is online advertising, has discontinued support for browser extensions using the Manifest V2 standard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manifest V2 support timeline |url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/develop/migrate/mv2-deprecation-timeline |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Google]]}}</ref> This renders advertising/tracking blockers such as uBlock Origin unusable and deactivates the corresponding plugins on update. Only versions with very limited blocking functionality remain usable.

Users who wish to continue to use the web without their every step being traced by Google and other advertising syndicates have no other option but to switch to a different browser such as [[Mozilla]] Firefox or Vivaldi, which have all pledged to retain full Manifest V2 compatibility in their browsers.

==See also==
*[[Brave browser]]
*[[DuckDuckGo Browser]]
*[[Firefox]]
*[[Microsoft Edge]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Firefox

2025-08-31T07:05:10Z

-u-n-: /*Consumer impact summary*/ Adding information

{{Stub}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=Mozilla
|ReleaseYear=2004
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Product
|Category=Browser, Web Browser
|Website=https://www.firefox.com/
|Description=Firefox is a free open-source browser created and owned by Mozilla.
|Logo=Firefox_Logo.svg}}

'''Firefox''' is a free and open-source web browser developed by the [[Mozilla]] Foundation. It is officially available on Windows (10 and above<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 Feb 2025 |title=Firefox users on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 moving to Extended Support Release |url=https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-users-windows-7-8-and-81-moving-extended-support |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729074747/https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-users-windows-7-8-and-81-moving-extended-support |archive-date=29 Jul 2025 |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Mozilla Support}}</ref>), macOS and Linux.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 Aug 2025 |title=Firefox for desktop |url=https://www.firefox.com/en-US/browsers/desktop/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729082008/https://www.firefox.com/en-US/browsers/desktop/ |archive-date=29 Jul 2025 |access-date=20 Aug 2025 |website=Firefox}}</ref>

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}
===User privacy===
Despite marketing itself as a security browser, by default "technical and interaction data" is sent to Firefox.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manage technical and interaction data collection settings in Firefox|url=https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/technical-and-interaction-data|website=Mozilla Support|access-date=August 31, 2025}}</ref> The [[opt-out]] option can be disabled easily using the GUI settings.

However, some options cannot be conveniently disabled, and requires fiddling the settings in <code>about:config</code>. Some of these examples include:
* Integrated Pocket technology as a built-in extension, which in its Privacy Policy uses Google Analytics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pocket|url=https://getpocket.com/privacy?t=privacypolicy|date=August 27, 2025|website=Pocket|access-date=August 31, 2025}}</ref>
* Google Analytics in the browser.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Google Analytics is used to track users. #3145|url=https://github.com/mozilla/addons/issues/3145|website=GitHub|access-date=August 31, 2025}}</ref> Firefox stated they will not "give the 'data directly to Google'" but will "[collect] aggregate and non-identifiable data in numbers to ensure our development/UX changes are met well. [...] We need some data, anonymised and aggregated, to do this."

===User freedom===
* Heavily configurable via <code>about:config</code>.

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Mozilla introduces TOS to Firefox (''02/27/2025'')===
{{Main|Mozilla introduces TOS to Firefox}}
On February 26th, 2025 Mozilla announced in their blog that they are introducing Terms of Use to Firefox, effective June 10th, 2025. <ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2025-02-26 |title=Firefox Terms of Use |url=https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/legal/terms/firefox/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=Mozilla}}</ref> Their reasoning is to "give [the user] more transparency over [their] rights and permissions as [they] use Firefox".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Varma |first=Ajit |date=2025-02-26 |title=Introducing a terms of use and updated privacy notice for Firefox |url=https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/firefox-terms-of-use/ |url-status=live |website=Mozilla Blog}}</ref> In the same blog post they announce an update to their Privacy Policy.

Under section "Mozilla Can Update or Terminate This Agreement" in the ToS, it is announced that updates to it will be posted online, and continued use of Firefox is taken as the user's acceptance of the new terms. No mention is made of any other commitment to notify the user (in-browser notification, etc.). In the next section, "Termination", it is explicitly stated that Mozilla will "try to notify [the user]" at their email address or next time they try to access their account, in case Mozilla denies or suspend anyone's access to Firefox.

==Alternatives==
* [https://librewolf.net/ LibreWolf]

==See also==
*[[Brave browser|Brave]]
*[[DuckDuckGo Browser|DuckDuckGo Browser]]
*[[Google Chrome]]
*[[Microsoft Edge]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

Android Developer Verification

2025-08-31T05:37:53Z

-u-n-: Link some articles, move timeline to Announcement section

{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Google
|StartDate=2025-08-25
|Status=Active
|ProductLine=Google-certified Android devices
|Product=Android
|ArticleType=Service
|Type=Anticompetitive Behavior, Digital restrictions, Privacy
|Description=A planned restriction that forces developers to submit their identity to Google and pay a fee for their apps to be installable onto Android devices.
}}

On August 25th, 2025, [[Google]] announced an upcoming application installation restriction on Google-certified [[Android]] devices, requiring '''all''' developers to register & verify their identity through the Developer Verification program before their apps can be installed on Android devices. This requirement extends to '''''all''''' installation methods including sideloading, third-party app stores, & direct APK installations. This is a giant shift from android's traditionally open ecosystem.

==Background==
Android has historically allowed users to freely install applications from any source through a process known as [[sideloading]]. This openness differentiated Android from competitors like iOS. It enabled alternative app stores, open-source repositories like [[F-Droid]], & direct developer-to-user distribution. The only technical requirements were that applications follow Android's technical guidelines for functionality & be signed with any certificate to maintain a chain of trust during updates.

This openness has been a defining characteristic of Android since its inception, supporting many different use cases from enterprise deployments to privacy-focused distributions. Google has defended this approach in antitrust proceedings, with Google's lawyers arguing in the [[Epic Games]] case that "Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Fortnite maker Epic Games wins its antitrust fight against Google |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/11/epic-games-google-antitrust-win/ |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref> & that the company's app store practices were "part of its fierce competition with Apple"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-12 |title=Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/11/epic-google-trial-verdict/ |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=The Washington Post}}</ref>.

==Announcement and rationale==
Google announced the Developer Verification requirements on August 25th, 2025, through the Android Developers Blog<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-25 |title=Android Developers Blog: A new layer of security for certified Android devices |url=https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250825180832/https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/08/elevating-android-security.html |archive-date=2025-08-25 |access-date=2025-08-25}}</ref>. According to Suzanne Frey, VP of Product, Trust & Growth for Android, the system is designed to combat malicious actors who "''hide behind anonymity to harm users by impersonating developers and using their brand image to create convincing fake apps."''

Google cited security statistics showing ''"over 50 times more malware from internet-sideloaded sources than on apps available through Google Play"''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-25 |title=Google will require developer verification to install Android apps, including sideloading |url=https://9to5google.com/2025/08/25/android-apps-developer-verification/ |website=9to5Google |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>. The company framed the verification as ''"an ID check at the airport, which confirms a traveler's identity but is separate from the security screening of their bags."''

===Implementation timeline===
The implementation will be conducted in global rollout phases<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-25 |title=Android developer verification {{!}} Android Developers |url=https://developer.android.com/developer-verification |url-status=live |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>:

*'''October 2025''': Early access opens for invited developers
*'''March 2026''': Open to all developers
*'''September 2026''': Enforcement begins in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand
*'''2027 and beyond''': Global rollout continues

Key implementation details:
*No grandfather clauses for existing apps or developers
*Play Store developers likely already meet requirements through 2023's D-U-N-S implementation
*Organizations requiring D-U-N-S numbers should begin the process 28 days before deadlines
*Developers can initiate verification 60 days before enforcement
*90-day deadline extensions available for developers needing additional time
*After deadlines, users encounter system-level blocks with no override option when attempting to install unverified apps

==Technical implementation==

===Distribution types===
The Developer Verification system creates two tiers of developer accounts<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-25 |title=Android developer verification {{!}} Android Developers |url=https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides/android-developer-console |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250825204008/https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides/android-developer-console |archive-date=2025-08-25 |access-date=2025-08-25}}</ref>:

====Full distribution====
*Intended for ''"organizations and professional developers with wide distribution"''
*Requires a one-time $25 fee
*Requires complete identity verification including:
**Government-issued photo ID
**Proof of address
**For organizations: D-U-N-S number (can take up to 28 days to obtain)
*No limits on app numbers or installations

====Limited distribution====
*Intended for ''"students, hobbyists, and other personal use"''
*Free registration
*Has ''"capped number of apps and installs"'' (specific limits not disclosed)
*Identity verification requirements unclear

===Package name registration===
Developers must register package names before apps can be installed. The system creates a cryptographic link between developer identity & app signing keys. Ownership priority is determined by installation statistics - developers whose signing keys account for over 50% of known installs receive registration priority<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-25 |title=Resources {{!}} Android developer verification {{!}} Android Developers |url=https://developer.android.com/developer-verification/guides/resources |website=Android Developers |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>.

===Affected devices===
The requirements apply to all ''"Google-certified Android devices,"'' which includes:
*Devices with Google Play Store
*Devices with Google Mobile Services (GMS)
*Devices with Play Protect
*All mainstream Android devices from manufacturers including Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, OnePlus, and Google Pixel

Custom ROMs without Google services & uncertified devices are not affected by these restrictions.

==Developer response==

===Technical concerns===
Prominent Android developer Mark Murphy (CommonsWare) raised several technical concerns<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-26 |title=Uncomfortable Questions About Android Developer Verification |url=https://commonsware.com/blog/2025/08/26/uncomfortable-questions-android-developer-verification.html |website=CommonsWare |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>:
*Debug keystore handling for development workflows remains unaddressed
*Sample code from Android development books would become unusable as "at most one person on the entire planet" could register each package name
*Beta testing workflows using different package names face complications
*Questions whether "it will no longer be possible to test apps under development on Google-certified production hardware" after 2027

===Privacy and safety concerns===
Developers expressed significant privacy concerns:
*Murphy cited the ICEBlock app developer who faced federal prosecution threats after identity disclosure, with his wife being fired from a DOJ job
*Google's privacy policy allows sharing developer information with ''"trusted businesses or persons"'' without clear restrictions<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-29 |title=Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy |url=https://news.itsfoss.com/new-android-sideloading-rules/ |website=It's FOSS |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>
*Open source developers fear harassment and doxxing after forced identity disclosure

===Open source community impact===
The F-Droid community reacted strongly, with one forum member stating: "F*** Google. Use GrapheneOS to drop Android... I find this development downright alarming"<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQ - App Developers {{!}} F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository |url=https://f-droid.org/en/docs/FAQ_-_App_Developers/ |website=F-Droid |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>. Specific challenges include:
*F-Droid builds apps from source with its own signing keys, creating coordination requirements with upstream developers
*Community estimates suggest 85% of F-Droid apps could be "stuck in limbo" due to package ID conflicts
*Some developers announced via FreeDroidWarn that their apps "will no longer work on certified Android devices after that time"

==Consumer and user response==
Google's Q&A page for the announcement received lots of feedback<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-25 |title=Q&A: New Android developer verification requirements |url=https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/thread/361325854 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250829100055/https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/thread/361325854/%F0%9F%92%AC-q-a-new-android-developer-verification-requirements |archive-date=2025-08-29 |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=Play Console Help}}</ref>, including:

*Users highlighting the hypocrisy of enforcing security on sideloaded apps while Google Play distributes apps classified as scamware, malware, and adware
*Confusion over whether users would need to pay $25 to install apps on their own devices
*Concerns about offline device functionality (barcode scanners, kiosks) requiring internet connections for app signing verification
*Comparisons to Windows, where users noted: "I can install an app onto a Windows computer from any source without verification by Microsoft"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-26 |title=Google to restrict Android app sideloading to verified devs |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/android_developer_verification_sideloading |website=The Register |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>

The Android community produced numerous critical videos<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mental Outlaw |date=2025-08-29 |title=Google is Locking Down Android |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1S0SiBuJN8 |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=BrenTech |date=2025-08-26 |title=Google Will Soon Block Apps from Unverified Developers! Is This The End of Sideloading on Android? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nCgnXByGrY |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=TechLore |date=2025-08-27 |title=Android Is Becoming iOS: The End of Sideloading? |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxGjwtiI8uM |access-date=2025-08-29 |website=YouTube}}</ref>, with titles like "Google is Locking Down Android" and "Android Is Becoming iOS: The End of Sideloading?"

==Industry and organizational response==

===Support===
The Developers Alliance stood as the sole organizational voice supporting the change, with co-founder Jake Ward stating it was "a critical step to ensure trust, accountability, and security across the Android ecosystem"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-26 |title=Developers Alliance Applauds Google's New Android Developer Verification |url=https://developersalliance.org/developers-alliance-applauds-googles-new-android-developer-verification/ |website=Developers Alliance |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>.

Government support emerged from initial rollout regions:
*Brazil's Federation of Banks called it a "significant advancement in protecting users"
*Indonesia's Ministry of Communications praised the "balanced approach that protects users while keeping Android open"
*Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy described it as a "positive and proactive measure"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-25 |title=Google to Verify All Android Developers in 4 Countries to Block Malicious Apps |url=https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/google-to-verify-all-android-developers.html |website=The Hacker News |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>

===Criticism===
Technology publications characterized the change as fundamental to Android's nature:
*The Daily Security Review called it "a significant philosophical shift for Android, mirroring Apple's tightly curated ecosystem"
*It's FOSS warned "this could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on 'certified' Android devices"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-29 |title=Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google's New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy |url=https://news.itsfoss.com/new-android-sideloading-rules/ |website=It's FOSS |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>
*OSnews criticized it as "the death of our digital freedoms"
*Hackaday noted the timing "coincides with Google's court-mandated opening of Android following Epic Games' antitrust victory"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-26 |title=Google Will Require Developer Verification Even For Sideloading |url=https://hackaday.com/2025/08/26/google-will-require-developer-verification-even-for-sideloading/ |website=Hackaday |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>

==Impact on Specific Use Cases==

===Enterprise and MDM Deployments===
NomidMDM advised IT managers to "audit application inventory today" & make sure all line-of-business app developers complete verification before deadlines<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Core Change: Mandatory Verification for All Android Apps |url=https://www.nomidmdm.com/en/blog/the-core-change-mandatory-verification-for-all-android-apps |website=NomidMDM |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>. Affected deployments include:
*Wall-mounted displays
*Classroom broadcasting systems
*Shared device configurations
*Kiosk applications
*Industrial control systems

===Alternative app stores===
F-Droid faces serious challenges with the repository's build-from-source model conflicting with developer verification requirements. Alternative stores must make sure all hosted apps come from verified developers, effectively extending Google's verification to all distribution channels.

===Educational development===
Educational institutions face challenges as well:
*Student projects require individual verification for testing
*Sample code from textbooks becomes unusable without verification
*Classroom demonstrations need verified developer accounts
*Research projects face additional identity disclosure requirements

==Regulatory context==
The announcement arrives during active regulatory scrutiny of Google's platform practices:

===European Union===
The EU [[Digital Markets Act]] investigation issued preliminary findings against Google on March 19, 2025, for self-preferencing and payment system restrictions<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-19 |title=Google Search, Play Store falling foul of Digital Markets Act rules, says EU |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/19/google-search-play-store-falling-foul-of-digital-markets-act-rules-says-eu/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>. Legal experts note potential conflicts with DMA provisions requiring gatekeepers to permit third-party software installation without the gatekeeper's identification services.

===United States===
The timing coincides with court-mandated changes following Epic Games' antitrust victory. The FTC outlined remedy concerns in an August 2024 amicus brief after the jury found Google illegally monopolized app distribution<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-29 |title=FTC Outlines Remedy Concerns in Amicus Brief After Jury Finds Google Illegally Monopolized App Store |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/ftc-outlines-remedy-concerns-amicus-brief-after-jury-finds-google-illegally-monopolized-app-store |website=Federal Trade Commission |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>.

===United Kingdom===
The UK Competition and Markets Authority continues its Strategic Market Status investigation with consultation closing August 20, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=SMS investigation into Google's mobile platform |url=https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/sms-investigation-into-googles-mobile-ecosystem |website=GOV.UK |access-date=2025-08-29}}</ref>, though no specific response to the verification requirements has been issued.

==See also==
*[[Digital Markets Act]]
*[[Sideloading]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Android]]
[[Category:Google]]
[[Category:Digital restrictions]]
[[Category:Privacy violations]]
[[Category:2025]]

YouTube

2025-08-26T02:33:55Z

-u-n-: Fix reference

{{StubNotice}}

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube |website=Wikipedia |access-date=30 Jan 2025}}</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Consumer Impact Summary==

*'''User Freedom''': Questionable; rampant bots and [[Elsagate]] suggest negligent moderation, yet at the same time, content moderation can be quite excessive for users as well.
*'''User Privacy''': Poor; Since August 2025, accessing mature content without identification is a gamble. User data is also sold to advertisers.
*'''Business Model''': [[Advertising overload|Excessive advertising]], YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite
*'''Market Competition''': Despite several platforms that follow its niche, such as Odysee, PeerTube, and DailyMotion, they provide no significant competition.

==Incidents==

===Restricting users without verification===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}

On July 30, 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched, and will ask for previously mentioned personal information when it believes that the user falls below 18.

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date= |url-status=live}}</ref> but because the platform is run by a publicly shared parent company, it is forced to grow its revenue by any means necessary. This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jordan |last=Brown |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |website=33rd Square |date=20 Jan 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Aamir |last=Siddiqui |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Hans-Christian |last=Dirscherl |first2=Joel |last2=Lee |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref> and most prevalent on YouTube TV, <ref>{{Cite web |first=Anu |last=Adegbola |title=YouTube tests longer CTV ad breaks |url= https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248#:~:text=YouTube%20is%20increasing%20the%20duration,ads%20over%20shorter%2C%20dispersed%20slots. |website=Search Engine Land |date=16 Aug 2024 |access-date=16 Aug 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>) increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Arol |last=Wright |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=@T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |first=Max |last=Knoblauch |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author= @Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=[[YouTube]] |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183511/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=19 Dec 2023
}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.{{Citation needed}} YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anurag |last=Singh |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace…
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Adamya |last=Sharma |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=[[YouTube]] |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217144248/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=[[YouTube]] |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/  |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=@Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl
|website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319182149/https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl  |archive-date=19 Mar 2025}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Malia |last=Disney |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=archive.yr.media |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |first=Randy |last=Cantz |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Julia |last=Alexander |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first=Chuck |last=Jines |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=[[YouTube]] |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last= Brodkin |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Andy |last=Maxwell
|title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

Related to the incessant usage of ads on the platform and multitudes of harmful and scam ads that have gotten through YouTube's advertising system, consumers have been needing to use ad blockers while on the platform merely to watch their videos. Unfortunately, [[Google]] sparked a game of cat and mouse, and has been attempting to integrate a variant of DRM onto YouTube to make consumers watch ads.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=O'Flaherty |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Scharon |last=Harding |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> However, these attempts usually only work for a short period of time before ad blocking tools find new ways to circumvent the advertisements,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref> resulting in these actions taking place reflecting the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

There have also been attempts to inject ads directly into video streams, which has disrupted extensions such as [https://sponsor.ajay.app/ SponsorBlock], a community-driven tool for automatically skipping sponsored segments. Users submit timestamps marking the start and end of sponsored segments. The add-on's functionality is severely weakened when personalized ads, which have different durations and appear at varying timestamps for individual viewers, are injected directly into video streams.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has directly confirmed attempts to harm the experience of users who use ad blockers and also Firefox via intentionally slowing down connection speeds by 5 seconds.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile app allows you to download videos for offline consumption if you have a YouTube Premium subscription.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |title=YouTube Premium |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> However, the app's DRM prevents you from watching downloaded videos, unless the app has "phoned home" in the last 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> This caveat is not clearly disclosed on the main YouTube Premium page, instead requiring the user to navigate support articles to discover this limitation.

====Universal DRM testing and violation of Creative Commons licences====
YouTube on TV is an HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> One {{Wplink|Xbox 360}} user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation{{Citation needed|date=18 Aug 2025}}. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions
|url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.{{Citation needed}}

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related API, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Can |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. This feature is activated by default (opt-out instead of opt-in).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help
|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results. If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube started to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch. This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered — especially if it still has low view counts — since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===Rampant bots===
For the first few moments of a video being published on the platform, the comments section of the video is swarmed by a legion of bots that aim to scam or garner attention from viewers. Most of these bots employ similar tactics to achieve their goals such as using popular public figures and/or scantily-dressed women as their profile pictures, and copy-pasting the most liked comments on the video (and edit afterwards if the comment reaches a certain threshold). These bots also spam comments that are often irrelevant to the YouTube channel or the subject matter of the video. Despite repeated requests from creators and communities alike, YouTube still has yet to implement any measures against these bots. Hence YouTubers and their teams have to manually moderate the comments on each individual video.

===Crackdown against third-party front-ends===
YouTube began blocking third-party front-ends providing privacy friendly ways of access to the site.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Feb 2025 |title=Youtube changed something, again! |url=https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816014757/https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |archive-date=16 Aug 2025 |access-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>

===AI upscaling without consent===
YouTube is testing an experiment on Shorts content that enhances a video's detail without the creator's consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reisner |first=Alex |date=August 22, 2025 | title=YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’ |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |website=The Register |url-status=live |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> The resulting output tends to look plastic.
This change has been observed as early as June 27, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |author=
Ulincsys |date=June 27, 2025 |title=YouTube Shorts are almost certainly being AI upscaled |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1lllnse/youtube_shorts_are_almost_certainly_being_ai/ |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> and affects creators who especially intend the video to be viewed in a certain way, such as the "VHS look".<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2025 |title=YouTube Shorts are becoming AI upscaled without consent from creators |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |url-status=live |website=Reddit |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> Rhett Shull, in his video, opines such a change "will inevitably erode viewers trust in my content [...] or any of the other creators on this platform that we all watch and we all follow" due to implications that the creator may be using AI, and "also erodes my trust in the platform."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shull |first=Rhett |date=2025-08-14 |title=YouTube Is Using AI to Alter Content (and not telling us) |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |url-status=live |website=YouTube |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />

[[Category:YouTube]]

YouTube

2025-08-26T02:29:48Z

-u-n-: Earlier observed date

{{StubNotice}}

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube |website=Wikipedia |access-date=30 Jan 2025}}</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Consumer Impact Summary==

*'''User Freedom''': Questionable; rampant bots and [[Elsagate]] suggest negligent moderation, yet at the same time, content moderation can be quite excessive for users as well.
*'''User Privacy''': Poor; Since August 2025, accessing mature content without identification is a gamble. User data is also sold to advertisers.
*'''Business Model''': [[Advertising overload|Excessive advertising]], YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite
*'''Market Competition''': Despite several platforms that follow its niche, such as Odysee, PeerTube, and DailyMotion, they provide no significant competition.

==Incidents==

===Restricting users without verification===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}

On July 30, 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched, and will ask for previously mentioned personal information when it believes that the user falls below 18.

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date= |url-status=live}}</ref> but because the platform is run by a publicly shared parent company, it is forced to grow its revenue by any means necessary. This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jordan |last=Brown |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |website=33rd Square |date=20 Jan 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Aamir |last=Siddiqui |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Hans-Christian |last=Dirscherl |first2=Joel |last2=Lee |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref> and most prevalent on YouTube TV, <ref>{{Cite web |first=Anu |last=Adegbola |title=YouTube tests longer CTV ad breaks |url= https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248#:~:text=YouTube%20is%20increasing%20the%20duration,ads%20over%20shorter%2C%20dispersed%20slots. |website=Search Engine Land |date=16 Aug 2024 |access-date=16 Aug 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>) increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Arol |last=Wright |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=@T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |first=Max |last=Knoblauch |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author= @Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=[[YouTube]] |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183511/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=19 Dec 2023
}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.{{Citation needed}} YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anurag |last=Singh |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace…
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Adamya |last=Sharma |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=[[YouTube]] |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217144248/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=[[YouTube]] |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/  |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=@Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl
|website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319182149/https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl  |archive-date=19 Mar 2025}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Malia |last=Disney |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=archive.yr.media |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |first=Randy |last=Cantz |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Julia |last=Alexander |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first=Chuck |last=Jines |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=[[YouTube]] |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last= Brodkin |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Andy |last=Maxwell
|title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

Related to the incessant usage of ads on the platform and multitudes of harmful and scam ads that have gotten through YouTube's advertising system, consumers have been needing to use ad blockers while on the platform merely to watch their videos. Unfortunately, [[Google]] sparked a game of cat and mouse, and has been attempting to integrate a variant of DRM onto YouTube to make consumers watch ads.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=O'Flaherty |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Scharon |last=Harding |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> However, these attempts usually only work for a short period of time before ad blocking tools find new ways to circumvent the advertisements,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref> resulting in these actions taking place reflecting the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

There have also been attempts to inject ads directly into video streams, which has disrupted extensions such as [https://sponsor.ajay.app/ SponsorBlock], a community-driven tool for automatically skipping sponsored segments. Users submit timestamps marking the start and end of sponsored segments. The add-on's functionality is severely weakened when personalized ads, which have different durations and appear at varying timestamps for individual viewers, are injected directly into video streams.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has directly confirmed attempts to harm the experience of users who use ad blockers and also Firefox via intentionally slowing down connection speeds by 5 seconds.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile app allows you to download videos for offline consumption if you have a YouTube Premium subscription.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |title=YouTube Premium |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> However, the app's DRM prevents you from watching downloaded videos, unless the app has "phoned home" in the last 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> This caveat is not clearly disclosed on the main YouTube Premium page, instead requiring the user to navigate support articles to discover this limitation.

====Universal DRM testing and violation of Creative Commons licences====
YouTube on TV is an HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> One {{Wplink|Xbox 360}} user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation{{Citation needed|date=18 Aug 2025}}. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions
|url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.{{Citation needed}}

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related API, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Can |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. This feature is activated by default (opt-out instead of opt-in).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help
|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results. If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube started to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch. This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered — especially if it still has low view counts — since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===Rampant bots===
For the first few moments of a video being published on the platform, the comments section of the video is swarmed by a legion of bots that aim to scam or garner attention from viewers. Most of these bots employ similar tactics to achieve their goals such as using popular public figures and/or scantily-dressed women as their profile pictures, and copy-pasting the most liked comments on the video (and edit afterwards if the comment reaches a certain threshold). These bots also spam comments that are often irrelevant to the YouTube channel or the subject matter of the video. Despite repeated requests from creators and communities alike, YouTube still has yet to implement any measures against these bots. Hence YouTubers and their teams have to manually moderate the comments on each individual video.

===Crackdown against third-party front-ends===
YouTube began blocking third-party front-ends providing privacy friendly ways of access to the site.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Feb 2025 |title=Youtube changed something, again! |url=https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816014757/https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |archive-date=16 Aug 2025 |access-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>

===AI upscaling without consent===
YouTube is testing an experiment on Shorts content that enhances a video's detail without the creator's consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reisner |first=Alex |date=August 22, 2025 | title=YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’ |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |website=The Register |url-status=live |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> The resulting output tends to look plastic.
This change has been observed as early as June 27, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |first=
Ulincsys |date=June 27, 2025 |title=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1lllnse/youtube_shorts_are_almost_certainly_being_ai/ |url=YouTube Shorts are almost certainly being AI upscaled
|access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> and affects creators who especially intend the video to be viewed in a certain way, such as the "VHS look".<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2025 |title=YouTube Shorts are becoming AI upscaled without consent from creators |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |url-status=live |website=Reddit |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> Rhett Shull, in his video, opines such a change "will inevitably erode viewers trust in my content [...] or any of the other creators on this platform that we all watch and we all follow" due to implications that the creator may be using AI, and "also erodes my trust in the platform."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shull |first=Rhett |date=2025-08-14 |title=YouTube Is Using AI to Alter Content (and not telling us) |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |url-status=live |website=YouTube |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />

[[Category:YouTube]]

YouTube

2025-08-26T02:16:06Z

-u-n-: Remove colons in section titles. /*AI upscaling without consent*/ Expand on section

{{StubNotice}}

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube |website=Wikipedia |access-date=30 Jan 2025}}</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Consumer Impact Summary==

*'''User Freedom''': Questionable; rampant bots and [[Elsagate]] suggest negligent moderation, yet at the same time, content moderation can be quite excessive for users as well.
*'''User Privacy''': Poor; Since August 2025, accessing mature content without identification is a gamble. User data is also sold to advertisers.
*'''Business Model''': [[Advertising overload|Excessive advertising]], YouTube Premium, YouTube Premium Lite
*'''Market Competition''': Despite several platforms that follow its niche, such as Odysee, PeerTube, and DailyMotion, they provide no significant competition.

==Incidents==

===Restricting users without verification===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}

On July 30, 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched, and will ask for previously mentioned personal information when it believes that the user falls below 18.

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date= |url-status=live}}</ref> but because the platform is run by a publicly shared parent company, it is forced to grow its revenue by any means necessary. This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jordan |last=Brown |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |website=33rd Square |date=20 Jan 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Aamir |last=Siddiqui |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Hans-Christian |last=Dirscherl |first2=Joel |last2=Lee |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref> and most prevalent on YouTube TV, <ref>{{Cite web |first=Anu |last=Adegbola |title=YouTube tests longer CTV ad breaks |url= https://searchengineland.com/youtube-tests-longer-ad-breaks-ctv-445248#:~:text=YouTube%20is%20increasing%20the%20duration,ads%20over%20shorter%2C%20dispersed%20slots. |website=Search Engine Land |date=16 Aug 2024 |access-date=16 Aug 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>) increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Arol |last=Wright |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=@T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |first=Max |last=Knoblauch |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author= @Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=[[YouTube]] |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183511/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=19 Dec 2023
}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.{{Citation needed}} YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anurag |last=Singh |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace…
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Adamya |last=Sharma |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=[[YouTube]] |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217144248/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=[[YouTube]] |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/  |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=@Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl
|website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319182149/https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl  |archive-date=19 Mar 2025}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Malia |last=Disney |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=archive.yr.media |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |first=Randy |last=Cantz |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Julia |last=Alexander |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first=Chuck |last=Jines |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=[[YouTube]] |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last= Brodkin |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Andy |last=Maxwell
|title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

Related to the incessant usage of ads on the platform and multitudes of harmful and scam ads that have gotten through YouTube's advertising system, consumers have been needing to use ad blockers while on the platform merely to watch their videos. Unfortunately, [[Google]] sparked a game of cat and mouse, and has been attempting to integrate a variant of DRM onto YouTube to make consumers watch ads.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=O'Flaherty |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Scharon |last=Harding |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> However, these attempts usually only work for a short period of time before ad blocking tools find new ways to circumvent the advertisements,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref> resulting in these actions taking place reflecting the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

There have also been attempts to inject ads directly into video streams, which has disrupted extensions such as [https://sponsor.ajay.app/ SponsorBlock], a community-driven tool for automatically skipping sponsored segments. Users submit timestamps marking the start and end of sponsored segments. The add-on's functionality is severely weakened when personalized ads, which have different durations and appear at varying timestamps for individual viewers, are injected directly into video streams.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has directly confirmed attempts to harm the experience of users who use ad blockers and also Firefox via intentionally slowing down connection speeds by 5 seconds.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile app allows you to download videos for offline consumption if you have a YouTube Premium subscription.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |title=YouTube Premium |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> However, the app's DRM prevents you from watching downloaded videos, unless the app has "phoned home" in the last 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> This caveat is not clearly disclosed on the main YouTube Premium page, instead requiring the user to navigate support articles to discover this limitation.

====Universal DRM testing and violation of Creative Commons licences====
YouTube on TV is an HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> One {{Wplink|Xbox 360}} user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation{{Citation needed|date=18 Aug 2025}}. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions
|url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.{{Citation needed}}

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related API, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Can |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. This feature is activated by default (opt-out instead of opt-in).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help
|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results. If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube started to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch. This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered — especially if it still has low view counts — since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===Rampant bots===
For the first few moments of a video being published on the platform, the comments section of the video is swarmed by a legion of bots that aim to scam or garner attention from viewers. Most of these bots employ similar tactics to achieve their goals such as using popular public figures and/or scantily-dressed women as their profile pictures, and copy-pasting the most liked comments on the video (and edit afterwards if the comment reaches a certain threshold). These bots also spam comments that are often irrelevant to the YouTube channel or the subject matter of the video. Despite repeated requests from creators and communities alike, YouTube still has yet to implement any measures against these bots. Hence YouTubers and their teams have to manually moderate the comments on each individual video.

===Crackdown against third-party front-ends===
YouTube began blocking third-party front-ends providing privacy friendly ways of access to the site.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Feb 2025 |title=Youtube changed something, again! |url=https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816014757/https://nadeko.net/announcements/invidious-02-20/ |archive-date=16 Aug 2025 |access-date=16 Aug 2025}}</ref>

===AI upscaling without consent===
YouTube is testing an experiment on Shorts content that enhances a video's detail without the creator's consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reisner |first=Alex |date=August 22, 2025 | title=YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’ |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/08/youtube-shorts-ai-upscaling/683946/ |website=The Register |url-status=live |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> The resulting output tends to look plastic.
This change has been observed as early as July 21, 2025 and primarily affects creators who especially intend the video to be viewed in a certain way, such as the "VHS look".<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2025 |title=YouTube Shorts are becoming AI upscaled without consent from creators |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/1m5y7zu/youtube_shorts_are_becoming_ai_upscaled_without/ |url-status=live |website=Reddit |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref> Rhett Shull, in his video, opines such a change "will inevitably erode viewers trust in my content [...] or any of the other creators on this platform that we all watch and we all follow" due to implications that the creator may be using AI, and "also erodes my trust in the platform."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shull |first=Rhett |date=2025-08-14 |title=YouTube Is Using AI to Alter Content (and not telling us) |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=86nhP8tvbLY |url-status=live |website=YouTube |access-date=August 26, 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />

[[Category:YouTube]]

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-25T13:43:53Z

-u-n-: Importing relevant sources from European Online Safety Act

{{IncidentCargo
|StartDate=2023-10-26
|Status=Active
|Type=Digital restrictions
|Description=On 26 October 2023, the UK Online Safety Act passed and became law. This act restricts the freedom of UK users of the internet and increases censorship.
|ArticleType=Legislation}}

United Kingdom's [[wikipedia:Online Safety Act 2023|Online Safety Act 2023]] is a set of laws that claims to protect children and adults online.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Online Safety Act: explainer |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer |website=Gov.uk}}</ref> The act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-4 Section 4]).

One of the duties of the act requires affected websites to implement their own solution for identity verification such that it is highly effective to prove one's age ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-12-6 Section 12.6]). There is no official government-sanctioned identity verification platform. Each service provider must implement their own solution or find a third party solution to use to remain compliant. Another duty filters non-verified users from interacting with content made from an "adult user" ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-15-10 Section 15.10])<ref name="rossmann:1">{{Cite web|date=August 1, 2025|last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Tea app & UK Online Safety Act - the world is becoming a black mirror episode :(| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNNsCuEvR5w&t=114 |ref=rossmann:1 |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref>. These non-verified users will also be less visible, provided the adult user has toggled it.

While the press release says "the measures platforms have to put in place must confirm your age without collecting or storing personal data, unless absolutely necessary,"<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Peter |date=2025-08-01 |title=Keeping children safe online: changes to the Online Safety Act explained |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/keeping-children-safe-online-changes-to-the-online-safety-act-explained |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Gov.UK}}</ref> the legislation requires that companies track usage by specific people and provide data and/or remote access to Ofcom on demand ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-100 Section 100]) <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=2025-07-25 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50 |journal=UK Public General Acts |volume=2023 |issue=50}}</ref>
Enforcement of this act is done by the UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom). The penalty for breaking these rules is the greater of £18 million and 10% of the person’s qualifying worldwide revenue ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#schedule-13-paragraph-4 Schedule 13.4]).<ref name=":1" />

==Background==
The Online Safety Act is a "Bill to make provision for and in connection with the regulation by Ofcom of certain internet services; for and in connection with communications offences; and for connected purposes."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-19 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=UK Parliament: Parliamentary Bills}}</ref>

The Online Safety Act received royal assent on 26 October 2023, following five years of work by Carnegie UK, working in concert with over 50 partners. In 2018, Carnegie UK published a series of blogs by William Perrin and Professor Lorna Woods, outlining the proposal for social media regulation. The UK Government published its [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/online-harms-white-paper White Paper] on 8 April 2019, tackling online harm, with a duty of care approach at its core. Carnegie UK ended their work on the Online Safety Act in October 2023.<ref name="online-safety-and-carnegie-uk">{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Sarah |date=26 October 2023 |title=Online safety and Carnegie UK |url=https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250701203854/https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-date=2025-07-01 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Carnegie UK}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Sim |first=Kate |date=August 7, 2025| title=The Online Safety Act Has Nothing to Do With Child Safety and Everything to Do With Censorship| url=https://novaramedia.com/2025/08/07/the-online-safety-act-has-nothing-to-do-with-child-safety-and-everything-to-do-with-censorship/ |website=Novara Media |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref>

The bill was sponsored by Michelle Donelan, the (now former) Conservative MP for Chippenham and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, a current member of the House of Lords. Both on behalf of the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. <ref name=":4" />

The Online Safety Act is one act in two different stages. The original that reached royal assent on 26 October 2023 under Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, and the amended version in 2025, under Kier Starmer's Labour government. In February 2025, amendments related to making corporations more accountable for the content on their websites, as well as accountability for people accessing inappropriate content were brought to and voted on in parliament. The bill was changed again in May 2025 to include biometric face scans and government ID requirements, which was was not voted on in parliament.

[https://avpassociation.com/ Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA)] was formed in 2018 and is growing rapidly as the age and identity provider industry takes off. It represents all main technology suppliers who have invested in the development of age verification solutions to support the implementation of age restrictions online. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Age Verification Providers Association |url=https://avpassociation.com/}}</ref>

==The impact==
Since the UK Online Safety Act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other, <ref name=":2" /> it has a broad impact across the entire internet for those accessing websites from within the UK. All online services that Ofcom deems to be within the scope of the Online Safety Act must incorporate an identity verification process to determine each user's age.<ref name=":3" /> This has forced many websites to geo-block the UK because they are too small to justify or afford implementing their own the identity verification process or partnering with a third provider. A list of affected websites is available on [https://OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk].

The broad range of the act has caused content from breaking news,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Koopman |first=Saskia |date=August 13, 2025 |title=Why the Online Safety Act has become a political nightmare |url=https://www.cityam.com/why-labours-online-safety-act-has-become-a-political-nightmare/ |website=City AM |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref> war footages,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maiberg |first=Emanuel |date=July 29, 2025 |title=UK Users Need to Post Selfie or Photo ID to View Reddit's r/IsraelCrimes, r/UkraineWarFootage |url=https://www.404media.co/uk-users-need-to-post-selfie-or-photo-id-to-view-reddits-r-israelcrimes-r-ukrainewarfootage/ |website=404 Media |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref> and political videos<ref name=":6" /> to be heavily suppressed and labelled "harmful".

===Spotify===
To view age-restricted content on [[Spotify]], users in the UK are now asked for facial scanning; if that fails, ID verification can only correct the error.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cole |first=Samantha |title=Spotify Is Forcing Users to Undergo Face Scanning to Access Explicit Content |url=https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=404 Media |date=30 July 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250730160610/https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |archive-date=30 July 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===YouTube===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}
On July 30, 2025, [[YouTube]] responded by announcing its verification system, requesting users for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, in order to show that users are 18 and older. Age will be estimated through various information, including videos watched, and would lock users flagged below 18 unless they send one of aforementioned proofs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

===Wikipedia===
The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] (WMF) sued the United Kingdom to prevent them from forcing age checks on their websites. The WMF made a statement that being forced to comply with this act would compromise the privacy of its editors and the neutrality of the encyclopedia. On August 11, 2025, the London High Court denied the WMF's reasoning, but didn't necessarily force age checks for the website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Castro |first=Chiara |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Case dismissed – Wikipedia loses UK Online Safety Act legal challenge, but it may still be safe from age checks |url=https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/case-dismissed-wikipedia-loses-uk-online-safety-act-legal-challenge-but-it-may-still-be-safe-from-age-checks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2025 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Challenges UK Online Safety Act Regulations |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/08/11/wikimedia-foundation-challenges-uk-online-safety-act-regulations/}}</ref>

===4Chan===
4chan is a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images

====Ofcom's investigation====
On 14 April 2025, Ofcom issued a formal information notice to the provider of the service 4chan requesting a copy of the record of its Illegal Content Risk Assessment, as part of our [https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/enforcement-programme-to-monitor-if-services-meet-their-illegal-content-risk-assessment-and-record-keeping-duties-under-the-online-safety-act-2023 Risk Assessment Enforcement Programme]. At the date of opening this investigation, no response has been received to the information notice. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-13 |title=Investigation into 4chan and its compliance with duties to protect its users from illegal content |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/investigation-into-4chan-and-its-compliance-with-duties-to-protect-its-users-from-illegal-content |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250615131417/https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/investigation-into-4chan-and-its-compliance-with-duties-to-protect-its-users-from-illegal-content |archive-date=2025-06-15 |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=Ofcom}}</ref>

On 10 June 2025 Ofcom opened an investigation into "the online discussion board" 4chan. The investigation will consider 4chan's compliance with its duties under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom has powers under [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-102-8 section 102(8)] of the Act to require persons to respond to an information notice in the manner and form specified.

On 13 August 2025, Ofcom, in accordance with section 130 of the Online Safety Act 2023, issued 4chan Community Support LLC with a provisional notice of contravention, believing they had reasonable grounds for believing 4chan has contravened its duties under section 102(8) of the Act to comply (Ofcom.org appears to have blocked Archive.org from this and other pages sometime in July 2025).

====4chan's response====
Attorneys Preston Byrne and Ron Coleman, acting for 4chan, responded publicly to Ofcom’s provisional notice, which accuses the American company of failing to meet information notice requirements and possibly breaching duties related to content moderation.

The attorneys described the UK’s actions as an “illegal campaign of harassment” targeting American tech firms and warned that this extraterritorial enforcement of censorship law was incompatible with the First Amendment.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harper |first=Cindy |date=2025-08-18 |title=4chan Lawyers Fire Back as UK Tries to Censor from Across the Pond |url=https://reclaimthenet.org/us-lawyers-defend-4chan-against-uk-online-safety-act-enforcement |access-date=2025-08-18 |work=Reclaim the Net}}</ref>

Since enforcement began, the UK’s media regulator Ofcom has reportedly sent formal notices to several US tech companies, instructing them to comply or face penalties. These letters have ignited backlash among American lawmakers, many of whom argue that Britain has crossed a line by trying to dictate speech rules to American businesses and citizens. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, along with other members of Congress, has taken his concerns directly to British ministers, raising objections with Science Secretary Peter Kyle.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frieth |first=Dan |date=2025-07-31 |title=The White House Puts UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Notice Over UK’s Dangerous Online Censorship Laws |url=https://reclaimthenet.org/us-uk-clash-over-online-safety-act-free-speech |access-date=2025-08-18 |work=Reclaim the Internet}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
According to analysis by Cloudwards, [[Google]] searches for "how to get around age verification" and "is VPN legal in the UK" saw a massive growth of over 450 thousand and 380 thousand percent respectively.<ref name=":5" /> United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref name="UK_VPN">{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register}}</ref> As of August 16, 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |date=2025-04-22 |title=Repeal the Online Safety Act |url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |website=Petitions: UK Government and Parliament}}</ref>

===SafetyAct.co.uk===
[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/in_memoriam/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is a website which was created in response to the Act's implementation and is operated by Neil Brown<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}}</ref>, a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.

===Use Their ID===
[https://use-their-id.com/ Use Their ID.com] is a parody site that uses publicly available data about UK members of parliament to create AI-generated mock driving licences. They are clearly marked as satire and users are warned not to use them for anything real. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-28 |title=Use Their ID |url=https://use-their-id.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730001620/https://use-their-id.com/ |archive-date=2025-07-30 |access-date=2025-08-17}}</ref>

==Industry expert response==
The act has been [https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/internet-fragmentation/uk-online-safety-act/ opposed] as early as December 2023 by Internet Society.

===Electronic Frontier Foundation===
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) posted an article entitled [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online No, the UK’s Online Safety Act Doesn’t Make Children Safer Online], and covers the threat to privacy of internet users and how the bill restricts free expression by arbitrating speech online, exposing users to algorithmic discrimination through face checks, and leaves millions of people without a personal device or form ID excluded from accessing the internet.

"The internet must remain a place where all voices can be heard, free from discrimination or censorship by government agencies. If the UK really wants to achieve its goal of being the safest place in the world to go online, it must lead the way in introducing policies that actually protect all users—including children—rather than pushing the enforcement of legislation that harms the very people it was meant to protect."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collings |first=Paige |date=2025-08-01 |title=No, the UK’s Online Safety Act Doesn’t Make Children Safer Online |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250812070622/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online |archive-date=2025-08-12 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref>

===Theo Browne, YouTuber & CEO at T3 Chat===
Theo posted a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZozNjPcGw YouTube video] covering the Online Safety Act and how it going to destroy the free internet if internet community don't stop it ASAP. He said it's rare that he gets that extreme about something like this, but it's a really important thing that the community jump in front of. In his opinion, this is the fist time something this potentially damaging has been implemented in decades.

====Data Protection concerns====
The Online Safety Act will normalise providing your government-issued identification in order to see content, making everyone more susceptible and vulnerable to phishing attacks perpetrated by identity thieves.

"The only winners of this shit are VPN companies and identity providers."
[[File:Online Safety Act- Offloading Responsibility. .png|thumb|Parents, government, platforms, identity providers]]

====Offloaded responsibility====
By continuing to shift the responsibility down the pipe, we are increasing the potential harm for when it goes wrong. "Who is harmed if they fail their responsibility?"

=====Parents=====
when parents do a bad job of protecting their kids, the kid sees things that they shouldn't.

=====Governments=====
If the government does a bad job of helping the parents protect their kids, it could destroy the open internet.

=====Platforms=====
If the platform does a bad job of verifying the kids using the rules the government gave them, personal info starts to leak.

=====Third party identity verification providers=====
We've massively increased the opportunity and the like surface area of identity attacks and identity theft in general. We've made the internet less free and we've made it way harder to share information and we gave a ton of money to VPN companies for no reason.

==Government response==
Ofcom discouraged the promotion of VPNs.<ref name="UK_VPN" />

UK Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for debate. On 28 July 2025, when the petition to repeal the act had about 400,000 signatures, the government responded with this message: "The Government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, and is working closely with Ofcom to implement the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit from its protections.", only a few days after coming into force.<ref name=":0" /> This was only after three days (25 July 2025) the "highly effective age assurance" requirement came into force.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |date=2025-07-24 |title=Collection: Online Safety Act |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/online-safety-act |website=Gov.UK}}</ref>

The technology minister Peter Kyle said on Good Morning Britain, "if you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. Not those who want to keep children safe."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-07-29 |title=Peter Kyle Says 'Nigel Farage Is on the Side of Predators' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-MaeOLISlA |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Good Morning Britain, Youtube}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Legislation in Europe]]

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-25T11:45:17Z

-u-n-: Fix CS1 error. I think this is the archived URL

{{IncidentCargo
|StartDate=2023-10-26
|Status=Active
|Type=Digital restrictions
|Description=On 26 October 2023, the UK Online Safety Act passed and became law. This act restricts the freedom of UK users of the internet and increases censorship.
|ArticleType=Legislation}}

United Kingdom's [[wikipedia:Online Safety Act 2023|Online Safety Act 2023]] is a set of laws that claims to protect children and adults online.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Online Safety Act: explainer |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer |website=Gov.uk}}</ref> The act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-4 Section 4]).

One of the duties of the act requires affected websites to implement their own solution for identity verification such that it is highly effective to prove one's age ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-12-6 Section 12.6]). There is no official government-sanctioned identity verification platform. Each service provider must implement their own solution or find a third party solution to use to remain compliant. Another duty filters non-verified users from interacting with content made from an "adult user" ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-15-10 Section 15.10])<ref name="rossmann:1">{{Cite web|date=August 1, 2025|last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Tea app & UK Online Safety Act - the world is becoming a black mirror episode :(| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNNsCuEvR5w&t=114 |ref=rossmann:1 |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref>. These non-verified users will also be less visible, provided the adult user has toggled it.

While the press release says "the measures platforms have to put in place must confirm your age without collecting or storing personal data, unless absolutely necessary,"<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Peter |date=2025-08-01 |title=Keeping children safe online: changes to the Online Safety Act explained |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/keeping-children-safe-online-changes-to-the-online-safety-act-explained |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Gov.UK}}</ref> the legislation requires that companies track usage by specific people and provide data and/or remote access to Ofcom on demand ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-100 Section 100]) <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=2025-07-25 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50 |journal=UK Public General Acts |volume=2023 |issue=50}}</ref>
Enforcement of this act is done by the UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom). The penalty for breaking these rules is the greater of £18 million and 10% of the person’s qualifying worldwide revenue ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#schedule-13-paragraph-4 Schedule 13.4]).<ref name=":1" />

==Background==
The Online Safety Act is a "Bill to make provision for and in connection with the regulation by Ofcom of certain internet services; for and in connection with communications offences; and for connected purposes."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-19 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=UK Parliament: Parliamentary Bills}}</ref>

The Online Safety Act received royal assent on 26 October 2023, following five years of work by Carnegie UK, working in concert with over 50 partners. In 2018, Carnegie UK published a series of blogs by William Perrin and Professor Lorna Woods, outlining the proposal for social media regulation. The UK Government published its [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/online-harms-white-paper White Paper] on 8 April 2019, tackling online harm, with a duty of care approach at its core. Carnegie UK ended their work on the Online Safety Act in October 2023.<ref name="online-safety-and-carnegie-uk">{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Sarah |date=26 October 2023 |title=Online safety and Carnegie UK |url=https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250701203854/https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-date=2025-07-01 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Carnegie UK}}</ref>

The bill was sponsored by Michelle Donelan, the (now former) Conservative MP for Chippenham and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, a current member of the House of Lords. Both on behalf of the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. <ref name=":4" />

The Online Safety Act is one act in two different stages. The original that reached royal assent on 26 October 2023 under Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, and the amended version in 2025, under Kier Starmer's Labour government. In February 2025, amendments related to making corporations more accountable for the content on their websites, as well as accountability for people accessing inappropriate content were brought to and voted on in parliament. The bill was changed again in May 2025 to include biometric face scans and government ID requirements, which was was not voted on in parliament.

[https://avpassociation.com/ Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA)] was formed in 2018 and is growing rapidly as the age and identity provider industry takes off. It represents all main technology suppliers who have invested in the development of age verification solutions to support the implementation of age restrictions online. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Age Verification Providers Association |url=https://avpassociation.com/}}</ref>

==The impact==
Since the UK Online Safety Act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other, <ref name=":2" /> it has a broad impact across the entire internet for those accessing websites from within the UK. All online services that Ofcom deems to be within the scope of the Online Safety Act must incorporate an identity verification process to determine each user's age.<ref name=":3" /> This has forced many websites to geo-block the UK because they are too small to justify or afford implementing their own the identity verification process or partnering with a third provider. A list of affected websites is available on [https://OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk].
===Spotify===
To view age-restricted content on [[Spotify]], users in the UK are now asked for facial scanning; if that fails, ID verification can only correct the error.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cole |first=Samantha |title=Spotify Is Forcing Users to Undergo Face Scanning to Access Explicit Content |url=https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=404 Media |date=30 July 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250730160610/https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |archive-date=30 July 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===YouTube===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}
On July 30, 2025, [[YouTube]] responded by announcing its verification system, requesting users for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, in order to show that users are 18 and older. Age will be estimated through various information, including videos watched, and would lock users flagged below 18 unless they send one of aforementioned proofs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

===Wikipedia===
The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] (WMF) sued the United Kingdom to prevent them from forcing age checks on their websites. The WMF made a statement that being forced to comply with this act would compromise the privacy of its editors and the neutrality of the encyclopedia. On August 11, 2025, the London High Court denied the WMF's reasoning, but didn't necessarily force age checks for the website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Castro |first=Chiara |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Case dismissed – Wikipedia loses UK Online Safety Act legal challenge, but it may still be safe from age checks |url=https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/case-dismissed-wikipedia-loses-uk-online-safety-act-legal-challenge-but-it-may-still-be-safe-from-age-checks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2025 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Challenges UK Online Safety Act Regulations |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/08/11/wikimedia-foundation-challenges-uk-online-safety-act-regulations/}}</ref>

===4Chan===
4chan is a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images

====Ofcom's investigation====
On 14 April 2025, Ofcom issued a formal information notice to the provider of the service 4chan requesting a copy of the record of its Illegal Content Risk Assessment, as part of our [https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/enforcement-programme-to-monitor-if-services-meet-their-illegal-content-risk-assessment-and-record-keeping-duties-under-the-online-safety-act-2023 Risk Assessment Enforcement Programme]. At the date of opening this investigation, no response has been received to the information notice. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-13 |title=Investigation into 4chan and its compliance with duties to protect its users from illegal content |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/investigation-into-4chan-and-its-compliance-with-duties-to-protect-its-users-from-illegal-content |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250615131417/https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/investigation-into-4chan-and-its-compliance-with-duties-to-protect-its-users-from-illegal-content |archive-date=2025-06-15 |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=Ofcom}}</ref>

On 10 June 2025 Ofcom opened an investigation into "the online discussion board" 4chan. The investigation will consider 4chan's compliance with its duties under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom has powers under [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-102-8 section 102(8)] of the Act to require persons to respond to an information notice in the manner and form specified.

On 13 August 2025, Ofcom, in accordance with section 130 of the Online Safety Act 2023, issued 4chan Community Support LLC with a provisional notice of contravention, believing they had reasonable grounds for believing 4chan has contravened its duties under section 102(8) of the Act to comply (Ofcom.org appears to have blocked Archive.org from this and other pages sometime in July 2025).

====4chan's response====
Attorneys Preston Byrne and Ron Coleman, acting for 4chan, responded publicly to Ofcom’s provisional notice, which accuses the American company of failing to meet information notice requirements and possibly breaching duties related to content moderation.

The attorneys described the UK’s actions as an “illegal campaign of harassment” targeting American tech firms and warned that this extraterritorial enforcement of censorship law was incompatible with the First Amendment.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harper |first=Cindy |date=2025-08-18 |title=4chan Lawyers Fire Back as UK Tries to Censor from Across the Pond |url=https://reclaimthenet.org/us-lawyers-defend-4chan-against-uk-online-safety-act-enforcement |access-date=2025-08-18 |work=Reclaim the Net}}</ref>

Since enforcement began, the UK’s media regulator Ofcom has reportedly sent formal notices to several US tech companies, instructing them to comply or face penalties. These letters have ignited backlash among American lawmakers, many of whom argue that Britain has crossed a line by trying to dictate speech rules to American businesses and citizens. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, along with other members of Congress, has taken his concerns directly to British ministers, raising objections with Science Secretary Peter Kyle.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frieth |first=Dan |date=2025-07-31 |title=The White House Puts UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Notice Over UK’s Dangerous Online Censorship Laws |url=https://reclaimthenet.org/us-uk-clash-over-online-safety-act-free-speech |access-date=2025-08-18 |work=Reclaim the Internet}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref name="UK_VPN">{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register}}</ref> As of August 16, 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |date=2025-04-22 |title=Repeal the Online Safety Act |url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |website=Petitions: UK Government and Parliament}}</ref>

===SafetyAct.co.uk===
[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/in_memoriam/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is a website which was created in response to the Act's implementation and is operated by Neil Brown<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}}</ref>, a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.

===Use Their ID===
[https://use-their-id.com/ Use Their ID.com] is a parody site that uses publicly available data about UK members of parliament to create AI-generated mock driving licences. They are clearly marked as satire and users are warned not to use them for anything real. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-28 |title=Use Their ID |url=https://use-their-id.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730001620/https://use-their-id.com/ |archive-date=2025-07-30 |access-date=2025-08-17}}</ref>

==Industry expert response==

===Electronic Frontier Foundation===
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) posted an article entitled [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online No, the UK’s Online Safety Act Doesn’t Make Children Safer Online], and covers the threat to privacy of internet users and how the bill restricts free expression by arbitrating speech online, exposing users to algorithmic discrimination through face checks, and leaves millions of people without a personal device or form ID excluded from accessing the internet.

"The internet must remain a place where all voices can be heard, free from discrimination or censorship by government agencies. If the UK really wants to achieve its goal of being the safest place in the world to go online, it must lead the way in introducing policies that actually protect all users—including children—rather than pushing the enforcement of legislation that harms the very people it was meant to protect."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collings |first=Paige |date=2025-08-01 |title=No, the UK’s Online Safety Act Doesn’t Make Children Safer Online |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250812070622/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online |archive-date=2025-08-12 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref>

===Theo Browne, YouTuber & CEO at T3 Chat===
Theo posted a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZozNjPcGw YouTube video] covering the Online Safety Act and how it going to destroy the free internet if internet community don't stop it ASAP. He said it's rare that he gets that extreme about something like this, but it's a really important thing that the community jump in front of. In his opinion, this is the fist time something this potentially damaging has been implemented in decades.

====Data Protection concerns====
The Online Safety Act will normalise providing your government-issued identification in order to see content, making everyone more susceptible and vulnerable to phishing attacks perpetrated by identity thieves.

"The only winners of this shit are VPN companies and identity providers."
[[File:Online Safety Act- Offloading Responsibility. .png|thumb|Parents, government, platforms, identity providers]]

====Offloaded responsibility====
By continuing to shift the responsibility down the pipe, we are increasing the potential harm for when it goes wrong. "Who is harmed if they fail their responsibility?"

=====Parents=====
when parents do a bad job of protecting their kids, the kid sees things that they shouldn't.

=====Governments=====
If the government does a bad job of helping the parents protect their kids, it could destroy the open internet.

=====Platforms=====
If the platform does a bad job of verifying the kids using the rules the government gave them, personal info starts to leak.

=====Third party identity verification providers=====
We've massively increased the opportunity and the like surface area of identity attacks and identity theft in general. We've made the internet less free and we've made it way harder to share information and we gave a ton of money to VPN companies for no reason.

==Government response==
Ofcom discouraged the promotion of VPNs.<ref name="UK_VPN" />

UK Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for debate. On 28 July 2025, when the petition to repeal the act had about 400,000 signatures, the government responded with this message: "The Government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, and is working closely with Ofcom to implement the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit from its protections.", only a few days after coming into force.<ref name=":0" /> This was only after three days (25 July 2025) the "highly effective age assurance" requirement came into force.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |date=2025-07-24 |title=Collection: Online Safety Act |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/online-safety-act |website=Gov.UK}}</ref>

The technology minister Peter Kyle said on Good Morning Britain, "if you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. Not those who want to keep children safe."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-07-29 |title=Peter Kyle Says 'Nigel Farage Is on the Side of Predators' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-MaeOLISlA |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Good Morning Britain, Youtube}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Legislation in Europe]]

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-25T11:41:55Z

-u-n-: Attach Rossmann video

{{IncidentCargo
|StartDate=2023-10-26
|Status=Active
|Type=Digital restrictions
|Description=On 26 October 2023, the UK Online Safety Act passed and became law. This act restricts the freedom of UK users of the internet and increases censorship.
|ArticleType=Legislation}}

United Kingdom's [[wikipedia:Online Safety Act 2023|Online Safety Act 2023]] is a set of laws that claims to protect children and adults online.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Online Safety Act: explainer |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer |website=Gov.uk}}</ref> The act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-4 Section 4]).

One of the duties of the act requires affected websites to implement their own solution for identity verification such that it is highly effective to prove one's age ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-12-6 Section 12.6]). There is no official government-sanctioned identity verification platform. Each service provider must implement their own solution or find a third party solution to use to remain compliant. Another duty filters non-verified users from interacting with content made from an "adult user" ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-15-10 Section 15.10])<ref name="rossmann:1">{{Cite web|date=August 1, 2025|last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Tea app & UK Online Safety Act - the world is becoming a black mirror episode :(| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNNsCuEvR5w&t=114 |ref=rossmann:1 |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref>. These non-verified users will also be less visible, provided the adult user has toggled it.

While the press release says "the measures platforms have to put in place must confirm your age without collecting or storing personal data, unless absolutely necessary,"<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Peter |date=2025-08-01 |title=Keeping children safe online: changes to the Online Safety Act explained |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/keeping-children-safe-online-changes-to-the-online-safety-act-explained |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Gov.UK}}</ref> the legislation requires that companies track usage by specific people and provide data and/or remote access to Ofcom on demand ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-100 Section 100]) <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=2025-07-25 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50 |journal=UK Public General Acts |volume=2023 |issue=50}}</ref>
Enforcement of this act is done by the UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom). The penalty for breaking these rules is the greater of £18 million and 10% of the person’s qualifying worldwide revenue ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#schedule-13-paragraph-4 Schedule 13.4]).<ref name=":1" />

==Background==
The Online Safety Act is a "Bill to make provision for and in connection with the regulation by Ofcom of certain internet services; for and in connection with communications offences; and for connected purposes."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-19 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=UK Parliament: Parliamentary Bills}}</ref>

The Online Safety Act received royal assent on 26 October 2023, following five years of work by Carnegie UK, working in concert with over 50 partners. In 2018, Carnegie UK published a series of blogs by William Perrin and Professor Lorna Woods, outlining the proposal for social media regulation. The UK Government published its [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/online-harms-white-paper White Paper] on 8 April 2019, tackling online harm, with a duty of care approach at its core. Carnegie UK ended their work on the Online Safety Act in October 2023.<ref name="online-safety-and-carnegie-uk">{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Sarah |date=26 October 2023 |title=Online safety and Carnegie UK |url=https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250701203854/https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-date=2025-07-01 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Carnegie UK}}</ref>

The bill was sponsored by Michelle Donelan, the (now former) Conservative MP for Chippenham and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, a current member of the House of Lords. Both on behalf of the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. <ref name=":4" />

The Online Safety Act is one act in two different stages. The original that reached royal assent on 26 October 2023 under Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, and the amended version in 2025, under Kier Starmer's Labour government. In February 2025, amendments related to making corporations more accountable for the content on their websites, as well as accountability for people accessing inappropriate content were brought to and voted on in parliament. The bill was changed again in May 2025 to include biometric face scans and government ID requirements, which was was not voted on in parliament.

[https://avpassociation.com/ Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA)] was formed in 2018 and is growing rapidly as the age and identity provider industry takes off. It represents all main technology suppliers who have invested in the development of age verification solutions to support the implementation of age restrictions online. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Age Verification Providers Association |url=https://avpassociation.com/}}</ref>

==The impact==
Since the UK Online Safety Act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other, <ref name=":2" /> it has a broad impact across the entire internet for those accessing websites from within the UK. All online services that Ofcom deems to be within the scope of the Online Safety Act must incorporate an identity verification process to determine each user's age.<ref name=":3" /> This has forced many websites to geo-block the UK because they are too small to justify or afford implementing their own the identity verification process or partnering with a third provider. A list of affected websites is available on [https://OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk].
===Spotify===
To view age-restricted content on [[Spotify]], users in the UK are now asked for facial scanning; if that fails, ID verification can only correct the error.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cole |first=Samantha |title=Spotify Is Forcing Users to Undergo Face Scanning to Access Explicit Content |url=https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=404 Media |date=30 July 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250730160610/https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |archive-date=30 July 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===YouTube===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}
On July 30, 2025, [[YouTube]] responded by announcing its verification system, requesting users for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, in order to show that users are 18 and older. Age will be estimated through various information, including videos watched, and would lock users flagged below 18 unless they send one of aforementioned proofs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

===Wikipedia===
The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] (WMF) sued the United Kingdom to prevent them from forcing age checks on their websites. The WMF made a statement that being forced to comply with this act would compromise the privacy of its editors and the neutrality of the encyclopedia. On August 11, 2025, the London High Court denied the WMF's reasoning, but didn't necessarily force age checks for the website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Castro |first=Chiara |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Case dismissed – Wikipedia loses UK Online Safety Act legal challenge, but it may still be safe from age checks |url=https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/case-dismissed-wikipedia-loses-uk-online-safety-act-legal-challenge-but-it-may-still-be-safe-from-age-checks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2025 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Challenges UK Online Safety Act Regulations |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/08/11/wikimedia-foundation-challenges-uk-online-safety-act-regulations/}}</ref>

===4Chan===
4chan is a simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images

====Ofcom's investigation====
On 14 April 2025, Ofcom issued a formal information notice to the provider of the service 4chan requesting a copy of the record of its Illegal Content Risk Assessment, as part of our [https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/enforcement-programme-to-monitor-if-services-meet-their-illegal-content-risk-assessment-and-record-keeping-duties-under-the-online-safety-act-2023 Risk Assessment Enforcement Programme]. At the date of opening this investigation, no response has been received to the information notice. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-13 |title=Investigation into 4chan and its compliance with duties to protect its users from illegal content |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/investigation-into-4chan-and-its-compliance-with-duties-to-protect-its-users-from-illegal-content |archive-date=2025-06-15 |access-date=2025-08-18 |website=Ofcom}}</ref>

On 10 June 2025 Ofcom opened an investigation into "the online discussion board" 4chan. The investigation will consider 4chan's compliance with its duties under the Online Safety Act 2023. Ofcom has powers under [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-102-8 section 102(8)] of the Act to require persons to respond to an information notice in the manner and form specified.

On 13 August 2025, Ofcom, in accordance with section 130 of the Online Safety Act 2023, issued 4chan Community Support LLC with a provisional notice of contravention, believing they had reasonable grounds for believing 4chan has contravened its duties under section 102(8) of the Act to comply (Ofcom.org appears to have blocked Archive.org from this and other pages sometime in July 2025).

====4chan's response====
Attorneys Preston Byrne and Ron Coleman, acting for 4chan, responded publicly to Ofcom’s provisional notice, which accuses the American company of failing to meet information notice requirements and possibly breaching duties related to content moderation.

The attorneys described the UK’s actions as an “illegal campaign of harassment” targeting American tech firms and warned that this extraterritorial enforcement of censorship law was incompatible with the First Amendment.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harper |first=Cindy |date=2025-08-18 |title=4chan Lawyers Fire Back as UK Tries to Censor from Across the Pond |url=https://reclaimthenet.org/us-lawyers-defend-4chan-against-uk-online-safety-act-enforcement |access-date=2025-08-18 |work=Reclaim the Net}}</ref>

Since enforcement began, the UK’s media regulator Ofcom has reportedly sent formal notices to several US tech companies, instructing them to comply or face penalties. These letters have ignited backlash among American lawmakers, many of whom argue that Britain has crossed a line by trying to dictate speech rules to American businesses and citizens. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, along with other members of Congress, has taken his concerns directly to British ministers, raising objections with Science Secretary Peter Kyle.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frieth |first=Dan |date=2025-07-31 |title=The White House Puts UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Notice Over UK’s Dangerous Online Censorship Laws |url=https://reclaimthenet.org/us-uk-clash-over-online-safety-act-free-speech |access-date=2025-08-18 |work=Reclaim the Internet}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref name="UK_VPN">{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register}}</ref> As of August 16, 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |date=2025-04-22 |title=Repeal the Online Safety Act |url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |website=Petitions: UK Government and Parliament}}</ref>

===SafetyAct.co.uk===
[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/in_memoriam/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is a website which was created in response to the Act's implementation and is operated by Neil Brown<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}}</ref>, a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.

===Use Their ID===
[https://use-their-id.com/ Use Their ID.com] is a parody site that uses publicly available data about UK members of parliament to create AI-generated mock driving licences. They are clearly marked as satire and users are warned not to use them for anything real. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-28 |title=Use Their ID |url=https://use-their-id.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250730001620/https://use-their-id.com/ |archive-date=2025-07-30 |access-date=2025-08-17}}</ref>

==Industry expert response==

===Electronic Frontier Foundation===
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) posted an article entitled [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online No, the UK’s Online Safety Act Doesn’t Make Children Safer Online], and covers the threat to privacy of internet users and how the bill restricts free expression by arbitrating speech online, exposing users to algorithmic discrimination through face checks, and leaves millions of people without a personal device or form ID excluded from accessing the internet.

"The internet must remain a place where all voices can be heard, free from discrimination or censorship by government agencies. If the UK really wants to achieve its goal of being the safest place in the world to go online, it must lead the way in introducing policies that actually protect all users—including children—rather than pushing the enforcement of legislation that harms the very people it was meant to protect."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collings |first=Paige |date=2025-08-01 |title=No, the UK’s Online Safety Act Doesn’t Make Children Safer Online |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250812070622/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/no-uks-online-safety-act-doesnt-make-children-safer-online |archive-date=2025-08-12 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref>

===Theo Browne, YouTuber & CEO at T3 Chat===
Theo posted a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZozNjPcGw YouTube video] covering the Online Safety Act and how it going to destroy the free internet if internet community don't stop it ASAP. He said it's rare that he gets that extreme about something like this, but it's a really important thing that the community jump in front of. In his opinion, this is the fist time something this potentially damaging has been implemented in decades.

====Data Protection concerns====
The Online Safety Act will normalise providing your government-issued identification in order to see content, making everyone more susceptible and vulnerable to phishing attacks perpetrated by identity thieves.

"The only winners of this shit are VPN companies and identity providers."
[[File:Online Safety Act- Offloading Responsibility. .png|thumb|Parents, government, platforms, identity providers]]

====Offloaded responsibility====
By continuing to shift the responsibility down the pipe, we are increasing the potential harm for when it goes wrong. "Who is harmed if they fail their responsibility?"

=====Parents=====
when parents do a bad job of protecting their kids, the kid sees things that they shouldn't.

=====Governments=====
If the government does a bad job of helping the parents protect their kids, it could destroy the open internet.

=====Platforms=====
If the platform does a bad job of verifying the kids using the rules the government gave them, personal info starts to leak.

=====Third party identity verification providers=====
We've massively increased the opportunity and the like surface area of identity attacks and identity theft in general. We've made the internet less free and we've made it way harder to share information and we gave a ton of money to VPN companies for no reason.

==Government response==
Ofcom discouraged the promotion of VPNs.<ref name="UK_VPN" />

UK Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for debate. On 28 July 2025, when the petition to repeal the act had about 400,000 signatures, the government responded with this message: "The Government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, and is working closely with Ofcom to implement the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit from its protections.", only a few days after coming into force.<ref name=":0" /> This was only after three days (25 July 2025) the "highly effective age assurance" requirement came into force.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |date=2025-07-24 |title=Collection: Online Safety Act |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/online-safety-act |website=Gov.UK}}</ref>

The technology minister Peter Kyle said on Good Morning Britain, "if you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. Not those who want to keep children safe."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-07-29 |title=Peter Kyle Says 'Nigel Farage Is on the Side of Predators' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-MaeOLISlA |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Good Morning Britain, Youtube}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Legislation in Europe]]

Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam

2025-08-18T01:19:49Z

-u-n-: Improve formatting

{{OngoingEvent}}{{Incomplete}}

At an unknown date in 2025, [[Valve]] updated its Rules and Guidelines for developers on [[Steam]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Steamworks Documentation - Onboarding |url=https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250719092925/https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding |archive-date=Jul 19, 2025 |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=Steamworks Documentation}}</ref> Within these rules, they granted [[wikt:Internet_service_provider|internet service providers]] (ISPs) and banks/transaction providers the power to delist games from their platform.<ref>{{Cite news |last=techopse |date=Jul 18, 2025 |title=Valve Submits to VISA and MasterCard's Moral Crusade, Escalating Censorship of "Problematic" Games on Steam |url=https://www.techopse.com/valve-submits-to-visa-and-mastercards-moral-crusade-escalating-censorship-of-problematic-games-on-steam/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=Techopse}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Bonk |first=Lawrence |date=Jul 16, 2025 |title=Steam now bans games that violate the 'rules and standards' of payment processors and banks |url=https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-now-bans-games-that-violate-the-rules-and-standards-of-payment-processors-and-banks-164222173.html |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=Engadget}}</ref> Consumers have shown considerable criticism despite the nature of the content removed from the platform due to the vagueness of these rules leaving a window open for expanded censorship.

==Background==
===Steam's content policies===
Prior to 2025, Steam maintained a permissive stance towards adult content, following their 2018 policy change that allowed "everything" except illegal content or "obvious trolling."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Steam rules updated to prohibit content that violates rules set forth by payment processors and banks |url=https://automaton-media.com/en/news/steam-rules-updated-to-prohibit-content-that-violates-rules-set-forth-by-payment-processors-and-banks/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=AUTOMATON WEST}}</ref> This policy allowed a diverse range of adult-oriented games on the platform, including visual novels, dating simulators, & games with mature themes.

===Payment processor precedents===
The gaming industry observed similar payment processor interventions in other digital platforms. In December 2020, Mastercard & VISA suspended services to Pornhub following allegations of illegal content, resulting in the removal of over 10 million videos from the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Dec 14, 2020 |title=Mastercard, Visa and Discover cut ties with Pornhub following allegations of child abuse |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/14/business/mastercard-visa-discover-pornhub/index.html |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=CNN Business}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=Dec 10, 2020 |title=Mastercard severs ties with Pornhub, citing illegal content |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/12/10/pornhub-mastercard-ban-mindgeek/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref>

==Unfair content policy creation==

At an unknown time within 2025, the Rules and Guidelines for developers on [[Steam]]<ref name=":0" /> was updated by [[Valve]] due to pressures from payment vendors to delist content published with excessively mature content,<ref name=":1" /> however due to the vagueness of the following new rule within the policy:

<blockquote>15. Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam's payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content.</blockquote>

Has brought concern from consumers and the press, as this enables payment processors, banks, and even ISPs to delist content based on what they solely deem to be unsuitable, which may extend beyond sexually explicit content.

===Timeline of events===
====July 11, 2025: Collective Shout campaign====
The Australian advocacy group [[Collective Shout]], which also defended the film "Cuties" that used underage girls<ref>{{Cite web |title=Collective Shout, Censorship, and Consequences: A Closer Look {{!}} by Just a guy honestly... Kan {{!}} Jul, 2025 {{!}} Medium |url=https://medium.com/@kanquests/collective-shout-censorship-and-consequences-a-closer-look-9a5fdf1dcec4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Collective Shout defended the "child exploitation" film Cuties (harmless fiction) . But they lied and attacked DETROIT BECOME HUMAN (harmless fiction). {{!}} by VolkColopatrion {{!}} Jul, 2025 {{!}} Medium |url=https://medium.com/@volkcolopatrion4/collective-shout-defended-the-child-exploitation-film-cuties-72195004572a}}</ref> published an open letter to payment processors titled '''"Open letter to payment processors profiting from rape, incest + child abuse games on Steam."'''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=Jul 11, 2025 |title=Open letter to payment processors profiting from rape, incest + child abuse games on Steam |url=https://www.collectiveshout.org/open-letter-to-payment-processors |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=Collective Shout}}</ref> The letter was addressed to the CEOs of PayPal, Mastercard, & Visa, demanding they ''"immediately cease processing payments on Steam and itch.io."''<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=Jul 17, 2025 |title=Australian anti-porn group claims responsibility for Steam's new censorship rules in victory against 'porn sick brain rotted pedo gamer fetishists', and things only get weirder from there |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/australian-anti-porn-group-claims-responsibility-for-steams-new-censorship-rules-in-victory-against-porn-sick-brain-rotted-pedo-gamer-fetishists-and-things-only-get-weirder-from-there/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=PC Gamer}}</ref>

====July 12, 2025: PayPal blocks Steam in most countries====
Starting on July 12, many Steam users from other countries took to Reddit to ask why PayPal had stopped functioning. The error message on the Steam checkout webpage when failing to use PayPal reads "We are temporarily unable to process transactions with this payment method at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience."<ref>{{Cite web |title=paypal temporarily disabled since?|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1lxtux9/paypal_temporarily_disabled_since/|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref>

====July 15-16, 2025: Rule implementation====
Steam updated its developer guidelines to include Rule 15.<ref name=":1" /> SteamDB tracking indicated that over 100 games were removed from the platform within 16 hours of the policy change.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Hamilton |first=Phillip |date=Jul 18, 2025 |title=Steam Payment Processor Update / Collective Shout Controversy |url=https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/steam-payment-processor-update-collective-shout-controversy |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=Know Your Meme}}</ref> The removed games primarily featured adult themes, with particular focus on titles containing incest narratives, sexual violence simulations, or slavery themes.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Jul 16, 2025 |title=Steam takes down tons of porn games after new rule — here's what changed |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/steam-takes-down-tons-of-porn-games-cracks-down-on-certain-kinds-of-adult-only-content |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=Windows Central}}</ref>

====July 17, 2025: Collective Shout claims victory====
Collective Shout published a follow-up article claiming credit for the policy change, titled "Win – New policy on Steam and rape + incest games removed."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Win – New policy on Steam and rape + incest games removed |url=https://www.collectiveshout.org/win-new-steam-policy-games-removed |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=Collective Shout}}</ref> Co-founder Melinda Tankard Reist made statements that were characterized by gaming media as inflammatory.<ref name=":4" />

====August 1, 2025: Mastercard responds, Valve clarifies====
In an article by games journalist website Kotaku, Mastercard had responded by claiming "Mastercard has not evaluated any game or required restrictions of any activity on game creator sites and platforms, contrary to media reports and allegations", However, Vale responded within the same day clarifying "Mastercard did not communicate with Valve directly, despite our request to do so, Mastercard communicated with payment processors and their acquiring banks. Payment processors communicated this with Valve, and we replied by outlining Steam’s policy since 2018 of attempting to distribute games that are legal for distribution. Payment processors rejected this, and specifically cited Mastercard’s Rule 5.12.7 and risk to the Mastercard brand.", where MasterCard rule 5.12.7 states "A Merchant must not submit to its Acquirer, and a Customer must not submit to the Interchange System, any Transaction that is illegal, or in the sole discretion of the Corporation, may damage the goodwill of the Corporation or reflect negatively on the Marks."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mastercard Denies Pressuring Steam To Censor ‘NSFW’ Games, Update: Valve Responds|url=https://kotaku.com/mastercard-denies-pressuring-steam-to-censor-nsfw-games-2000614393|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref>

====August 9, 2025: MasterCard warns gaming tournaments about negative sentiment====
The games journalist who had their articles removed from Vice's website later mentioned that a source had told them that MasterCard, as a major sponsor for "League of Legends" eSports tournaments, had warned Riot Games (game developer of popular eSports game "League of Legends") about negative comments related to the recent games censorship issue, with the implication of deleting related comments from the chatroom on the official livestreams, as well as on the livestreams of content creator partners who work directly with Riot Games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ana Valens, BlueSky|url=https://bsky.app/profile/acvalens.net/post/3lvw2ukqlb22h|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref>

====August 12, 2025: Valve Support update on PayPal payment issues====
Valve updated their checkout website with a support link when failing to checkout using PayPal that reads "In early July 2025, PayPal notified Valve that their acquiring bank for payment transactions in certain currencies was immediately terminating the processing of any transactions related to Steam. This affects Steam purchases using PayPal in currencies other than EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, AUD and USD.". This affects most countries, especially Eastern Europe, South America, and Asia, who cannot use PayPal for payments on Steam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Steam PayPal unavailable update|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1mnzovo/steam_paypal_unavailable_update|access-date=Aug 18, 2025}}</ref>

====August 14, 2025: Valve confirms PayPal issues are related to the Mastercard issue====
In an article by games journalist website RockPaperShotgun, Valve clarifies the withdrawal of support for Steam transactions by one of PayPal's acquiring banks "is regarding content on Steam, related to what we’ve previously commented on surrounding Mastercard. In this case, one of PayPal’s acquiring banks decided to stop processing any Steam transactions, which cut off PayPal on Steam for a number of currencies".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Valve explain why using PayPal for Steam purchases isn't currently an option in a whole bunch of countries|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/valve-explain-why-using-paypal-for-steam-purchases-isnt-currently-an-option-in-a-whole-bunch-of-countries|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref>

Currently, the content being removed from the platform has included excessively sexual and mature topics,<ref name=":2" /> however, no significant game without this questionable content has been labeled as ''retired'' according to SteamDB currently.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SteamDB History |url=https://steamdb.info/history/events/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=SteamDB}}</ref>

===Valve's response===
The gaming news website Gaming on Linux contacted Valve regarding the matter, with its press team responding with:<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dawe |first=Liam |date=16 Jul 2025 |title=Valve gets pressured by payment processors with a new rule for game devs and various adult games removed |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/07/valve-gets-pressured-by-payment-processors-with-a-new-rule-for-game-devs-and-various-adult-games-removed/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=Gaming on Linux}}</ref>

<blockquote>We were recently notified that certain games on Steam may violate the rules and standards set forth by our payment processors and their related card networks and banks. As a result, we are retiring those games from being sold on the Steam Store, because loss of payment methods would prevent customers from being able to purchase other titles and game content on Steam.

We are directly notifying developers of these games, and issuing app credits should they have another game they'd like to distribute on Steam in the future.</blockquote>

GamesRadar+ reported that Valve confirmed the removals were due to pressure from banks and card companies, with the company stating that losing payment methods would prevent customers from purchasing any content on the platform.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Valve confirms pressure from banks and card companies is to blame for the storefront axing adult Steam games |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-confirms-pressure-from-banks-and-card-companies-is-to-blame-for-the-storefront-axing-adult-steam-games-loss-of-payment-methods-would-prevent-customers-from-being-able-to-purchase-other-titles/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=GamesRadar+}}</ref>

==Impact on other platforms==
===Itch.io===
On July 19, 2025, the indie gaming platform [[itch.io]] announced it would be "deindexing" adult content due to payment processor scrutiny.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Itch.io is removing NSFW games to comply with payment processors' rules |url=https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/itchio-is-removing-nsfw-games-to-comply-with-payment-processors-rules-133045491.html |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=Engadget}}</ref> The platform's founder, Leaf Corcoran, stated they were "actively reaching out to other payment processors" and acknowledged having "limited ability to push back" compared to larger platforms like Valve.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Itch.io is 'actively reaching out to other payment processors' after pressure from credit card companies to curtail NSFW content |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/game-development/itch-io-is-actively-reaching-out-to-other-payment-processors-after-pressure-from-credit-card-companies-to-curtail-nsfw-content-and-that-compared-to-valve-it-has-limited-ability-to-push-back/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=PC Gamer}}</ref>

Rascal News reported that itch.io had deindexed over 21,000 adult games, making them invisible in searches while technically remaining hosted.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Itch.io delists, bans games under pressure from payment processors and an Australian anti-porn group [Updated] |url=https://www.rascal.news/itch-io-delists-bans-games-under-pressure-from-payment-processors-and-an-australian-anti-porn-group/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=Rascal News}}</ref> The platform later announced that free adult content would be re-indexed with improved content warnings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Update on NSFW content |url=https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=itch.io}}</ref>

The deindexing of itch.io games has significantly affected the Queer and Furry communities who hosted a lot of popular Visual Novel (Interactive Story) games on that website, some of which did not contain any erotica but were labelled as NSFW just because of containing story themes about queer people. Because of this, a large amount of users from BlueSky have organised a few campaigns against payment companies, including the creation of certain posters and websites as a call to action. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Stop Payment Processors from censorship! #SaveSpeech|url=https://stop-paypros.neocities.org/|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |title=Protect Queer Creators and Sex Workers - Tell Payment Processors to STOP|url=https://yellat.money/|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref>

==Consumer response==

Consumer response is currently split, while many recognize that the content that has been taken down so far contains questionable topics,<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/HelloitsWojan |date=Jul 16, 2025 |title=Steam has added a new rule disallowing games that violate the rules and standards set forth by payment processors and card networks, or internet network providers. At the same time, many incest themed games were removed from the store. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1m17v49/steam_has_added_a_new_rule_disallowing_games_that/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> a majority both notice and dread the flaws of allowing third-parties to control what content would be allowed to be sold on [[Steam]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=OhNoItsAlexx |date=Jul 18, 2025 |title=The Steam Censorship Situation Is INSANE |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqqw53LTf7A |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=SomeOrdinaryGamers |date=Jul 18, 2025 |title=Steam's Payment Processor Censorship Controversy... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEflTJjtn5w |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> A [[Reddit]] post written by u/TeaLycan shared their concerns about how the new rule can be abused to unfairly delist content via nondescript rules on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/TeaLycan |date=Jul 16, 2025 |title=Concerned about Payment Processors policing Steam |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1m167jz/concerned_about_payment_processors_policing_steam/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

===Petitions and organized campaigns===
A Change.org petition titled "Tell MasterCard, Visa & Activist Groups: Stop Controlling What We Can Watch, Read, or Play" gained over 200,000 signatures.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tell MasterCard, Visa & Activist Groups: Stop Controlling What We Can Watch, Read, or Play |url=https://www.change.org/p/tell-mastercard-visa-activist-groups-stop-controlling-what-we-can-watch-read-or-play |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=Change.org}}</ref> Game Rant reported that the petition was "blowing up" as Steam users rallied against the censorship.<ref>{{Cite news |title=New Steam Petition is Blowing Up |url=https://gamerant.com/steam-anti-censorship-petition-adult-games-popular/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=Game Rant}}</ref>

TheGamer reported that Steam users were coordinating campaigns to contact Visa directly about the game removals.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Steam Users Are Banding Together To Contact Visa Over Removal Of Adult Games |url=https://www.thegamer.com/steam-gaming-industry-visa-payment-processors-adult-games-banned/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=TheGamer}}</ref> TweakTown later reported that Visa had responded to the backlash, though the company's statement did not directly address the Steam situation.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Visa responds to backlash over its moral policing of video games on Steam |url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/106699/visa-responds-to-backlash-over-its-moral-policing-of-video-games-on-steam/index.html |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=TweakTown}}</ref>

Due to itch.io games removal significantly affecting queer people, users cereza.zome and meltingcomet.com from BlueSky created websites full of activism information and sources.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stop Payment Processors from censorship! #SaveSpeech|url=https://stop-paypros.neocities.org/|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |title=Protect Queer Creators and Sex Workers - Tell Payment Processors to STOP|url=https://yellat.money/|access-date=Aug 16, 2025}}</ref>

===Community discussions===
Steam Community forums saw extensive discussion about the payment processor influence, with users expressing concern about the precedent being set.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Visa and Mastercard delisting games :: Steam Discussions |url=https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/601910081412467067/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=Steam Community}}</ref> PC Gamer characterized the new rule as putting "the kibosh on 'certain kinds of adult only content' that make Visa and Mastercard sad."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Steam's got a new rule that puts the kibosh on 'certain kinds of adult only content' that make Visa and Mastercard sad |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/steam-introduces-new-rule-prohibiting-certain-kinds-of-adult-content-that-might-make-visa-or-mastercard-unhappy-financial-deplatforming-in-action/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=PC Gamer}}</ref>

Consumers have linked this incident<ref name=":2" /> to an open letter written by the lobbyist group ''Collective Shout'',<ref name=":3" /> especially since the delisted content matched closely to the content decried by the aforementioned letter.

It has also raised questions about the dominance of traditional payment providers and users have been suggesting various open and privacy friendly alternatives to established systems that would not allow for such influence to be exercised on the kinds of goods being sold and could even allow for anonymity when purchasing digital goods.<ref>{{Cite web |title= You could use GNU Taler which simply digitalizes cash transactions even providing the buyer anonymity. That is just using existing currencies like the Euro. So that would work on whole EU scale. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1m18fj4/comment/n3ffcmh/|author=u/TheJackiMonster|work=Reddit|date=2025-07-16|access-date=2025-08-04}}</ref>

==Industry and media response==
===Game developers===
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) issued a statement expressing concern about the removals, stating that they were "materially harmful to game developers" and that games featuring "consensual adult content, including queer, kink-positive, or romantic narratives, are easily targeted under vague or overly cautious enforcement."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Game industry fires back as certain adult games continue to be delisted from Steam and Itch.io |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/game-industry-fires-back-as-certain-adult-games-continue-to-be-delisted-from-steam-and-itch-io-financial-institutions-are-now-influencing-which-stories-can-be-told-and-sold-in-games/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=GamesRadar+}}</ref>

NoobFeed reported that multiple developers were caught off-guard by the sudden removals, with many learning about their games' delisting through community reports rather than direct notification from Valve.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Steam Under Fire After Game Removals Spark Payment Processor Controversy |url=https://www.noobfeed.com/news/steam-game-removal-payment-processor-controversy |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=NoobFeed}}</ref>

===Gaming media coverage===
Kotaku published an article titled "The War Over Credit Cards Censoring Games Is Just Getting Started,".<ref>{{Cite news |title=The War Over Credit Cards Censoring Games Is Just Getting Started |url=https://kotaku.com/steam-itch-io-sex-game-nsfw-censor-visa-mastercard-1851787281 |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=Kotaku}}</ref>

VICE reported on user anger toward Valve for "Banning Adult-Only Games off Its Platform."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Steam Users Are Mad at Valve for Banning Adult-Only Games off Its Platform |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/steam-users-are-mad-at-valve-for-banning-adult-only-games-off-its-platform/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=VICE}}</ref>

NotebookCheck reported that journalists investigating the censorship had resigned from their positions, though specific details were not provided.<ref>{{Cite news |title=After payment processors prompt removal of Steam games, journalists investigating the censorship resign |url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/After-payment-processors-prompt-removal-of-Steam-games-journalists-investigating-the-censorship-resign.1063259.0.html |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=NotebookCheck}}</ref>

==Alternative payment methods==
===Cryptocurrency options===
Following the controversy, services offering Steam gift cards for cryptocurrency got more attention. PayRam reported a 300% increase in gaming-related cryptocurrency transactions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=STEAM'S SHOCK RULE 15: How Payment Giants Seized Control & Your 2025 Survival Guide |url=https://payram.com/blog/steams-shock-rule-15-how-payment-giants-seized-control-your-2025-survival-guide |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=PayRam}}</ref> Multiple services including Bitrefill, Coinsbee, and CryptoRefills offer Steam gift cards you can buy with different cryptocurrencies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Buy Steam Gift Card with Bitcoin, USDT, ETH or Crypto |url=https://www.bitrefill.com/us/en/gift-cards/steam-usa/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=Bitrefill}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Buy Steam gift card with Crypto |url=https://www.cryptorefills.com/en/steam-bitcoin |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=CryptoRefills}}</ref>

Steam previously accepted Bitcoin directly from 2016 to 2017 but discontinued the service citing high fees and volatility.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Steam is no longer supporting Bitcoin |url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1464096684955433613 |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=Steam Community}}</ref>

==Scary precedents set==
===Financial censorship concerns===
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has characterized payment processor restrictions as creating ''"choke points to accomplish widespread censorship."''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Financial Censorship |url=https://www.eff.org/issues/financial-censorship |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation}}</ref> The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) issued a statement on free speech and online payment processors, noting concerns about the expanding influence of financial intermediaries on digital content.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FIRE Statement on Free Speech and Online Payment Processors |url=https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/fire-statement-free-speech-and-online-payment-processors |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |website=The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression}}</ref>

Aftermath published an article titled ''"Controversial Opinion, But Faceless Payment Processors Probably Shouldn't Be Able To Run The Whole World From The Shadows,"'' bringing up concerns about unaccountable [[financial censorship]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Controversial Opinion, But Faceless Payment Processors Probably Shouldn't Be Able To Run The Whole World From The Shadows |url=https://aftermath.site/aftermath-hours-podcast-steam-itch-porn-payment-processors |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=Aftermath}}</ref>

===International responses===
CBC Radio reported on the situation as "How an anti-porn lobby on payment processors censored thousands of video games."<ref>{{Cite news |title=How an anti-porn lobby on payment processors censored thousands of video games |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/steam-itch-takedowns-credit-cards-1.7597563 |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=CBC Radio}}</ref>

Japanese gaming news outlet GIGAZINE reported that "'Gamer Outrage' became a trending topic on Japan's X (formerly Twitter)" following the removals and Collective Shout's statements.<ref>{{Cite news |title=After Steam removed a large number of adult games, an anti-pornography group declared a 'victory against pedophile gamers' |url=https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20250722-steam-introduced-confusing-new-rules-adult-content/ |access-date=Jul 20, 2025 |work=GIGAZINE}}</ref>

==See also==

*[[Collective Shout]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Valve Corporation]]
[[Category:Incidents]]

TikTok

2025-08-17T18:54:11Z

-u-n-: Fix section; unabbreviate technical jargon

{{Stub}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=[[ByteDance]]
|ReleaseYear=2016
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Social media
|Logo=Tiktok PNG1-1180843710.png
|Website=https://tiktok.com
|Description=Social media platform famous for popularizing short-form content.
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[[wikipedia:TikTok|TikTok]] is a social media platform developed by the Chinese internet technology company [[ByteDance|ByteDance Ltd]]. The app has been cited with numerous privacy concerns that eventually led to a US state ban in May 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archie |first=Ayana |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Montana becomes the first state to ban TikTok |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176805559/montana-tiktok-ban |access-date=Aug 13, 2025 |website=NPR}}</ref>

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

===User freedom===
*The app version requires an account to use the service.

===User privacy===
As per Privacy Policy:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/row/privacy-policy/en |access-date=Aug 14, 2025 |website=TikTok}}</ref>
*Automatically collects unreasonable heaps of information to fingerprint the user:
<blockquote>
:'''Technical Information we collect about you.''' We collect certain information about the device you use to access the Platform, such as your IP address, user agent, mobile carrier, time zone settings, identifiers for advertising purposes, model of your device, the device system, network type, your screen resolution and operating system, app and file names and types, keystroke patterns or rhythms, battery state, audio settings and connected audio devices. [...]
</blockquote>
:*"Keystroke patterns or rhythms" is particularly notable as the in-app browser has been demonstrated to listen to inputs from keyboard and screen, as well as injecting JavaScript code.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krause |first=Felix |date=Aug 18, 2022 |title=iOS Privacy: Announcing InAppBrowser.com - see what JavaScript commands get injected through an in-app browser |url=https://krausefx.com/blog/announcing-inappbrowsercom-see-what-javascript-commands-get-executed-in-an-in-app-browser#tiktok |access-date=Aug 14, 2025 |quote=While you are interacting with the website, TikTok subscribes to all keyboard inputs (including passwords, credit card information, etc.) and every tap on the screen, like which buttons and links you click.}}</ref>
*Also collects approximate location based on "SIM card and/or IP address" and precise location such as GPS.
*Serves personalized advertisements and runs its own AI-powered analytics tool for advertisers called "Insight Spotlight".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=TikTok will give advertisers even more data on trends and users |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/678255/tiktok-advertiser-summit-ai-targeting-data-seo |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Incident
!Year
!Background Info
!Aftermath
!Related Article
!Related Video
|-
|Violations of Children's Privacy Laws
|2019-current
|In 2019, the US Department of Justice sued TikTok and parent company [[ByteDance]] as well as it's associated companies for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act ([https://www.coppa.org/coppa/ COPPA]). The companies knowingly allowed children under 13 to make accounts and unlawfully collected data and personal information of said children without parental consent.<ref name="DOJ-COPPA">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-02 |title=Justice Department Sues TikTok and Parent Company ByteDance for Widespread Violations of Children’s Privacy Laws |url=https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-tiktok-and-parent-company-bytedance-widespread-violations-childrens |url-status=dead |website=Justice.gov}}</ref>
|TikTok, as of 2020, still has complains about allegedly still collecting and using personal data of children under 13.
|https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/08/ftc-investigation-leads-lawsuit-against-tiktok-bytedance-flagrantly-violating-childrens-privacy-law
|
|-
|Suppressing "ugly", poor, or disabled creators
|2020-present
|[https://theintercept.com/ The Intercept] published a report in 2020 stating that obtained internal documents from TikTok instructed moderators to limit the amount of videos with people who have "ugly facial looks". "abnormal body shape", or are in poor or dirty environments. The documents claim that these types of videos are "not the ideal video form of our platform"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Biddle1 Ribero2 Dias3 |first=Sam1 Paulo Victor2 Tatiana3 |date=2020-03-16 |title=Invisible Censorship |url=https://theintercept.com/2020/03/16/tiktok-app-moderators-users-discrimination/ |website=The Intercept}}</ref>
|A TikTok spokesperson stated that the guidelines were “an early blunt attempt at preventing bullying but are no longer in place"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Itimu |first=Kiruti |date=2020-03-17 |title=TikTok Apparently Suppressed Content From Ugly or Poor People |url=https://techweez.com/2020/03/17/tiktok-apparently-suppresses-content-from-ugly-and-poor-people/ |website=Techweez}}</ref>
|[https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/6810010/pages/Ugly-Content-Policy-p1-large.gif The documents themselves]
|
|}

===GDPR infringement Article Article 13(1)(f) & Article 46(1) GDPR (''May. 2025'')===
On May 2, 2025 the Irish Supervisory Authority fines TikTok a total of €530 million for infringement of Articles 13(1)(f) GDPR and Article 46(1) GDPR. The Irish Supervisory Authority (SA) has ordered TikTok to suspend the transfer of data from users in the EEA to the People’s Republic of China and to bring its processing operations into compliance with Chapter V of the GDPR within a period of 6 months.<ref>Irish Supervisory Authority fines TikTok €530 million and orders corrective measures following Inquiry into transfers of EEA User Data to China (2025, Jul, 04). edpb.europa.eu. Retrieved Aug 16, 2025, from https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2025/irish-supervisory-authority-fines-tiktok-eu530-million-and-orders-corrective_en</ref>

On Friday, August 2, 2024, the US sued TikTok, and its affiliates for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”), and it's rules. The DOJ alleges TikTok collected, stored, and processed large amounts of data from millions of child users on its app.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Nicole |date=5 Aug 2024 |title=U.S. Sues TikTok for Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Violations |url=https://www.hunton.com/hunton-retail-law-resource/u-s-sues-tiktok-for-childrens-online-privacy-protection-act-coppa-violations}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[ByteDance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:TikTok| ]]
[[Category:Social media companies]]

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-17T14:17:41Z

-u-n-: Link to relevant sections

{{StubNotice}}
{{IncidentCargo
|StartDate=2023-10-26
|Status=Active
|Type=Digital restrictions
|Description=On 26 October 2023, the UK Online Safety Act passed and became law. This act restricts the freedom of UK users of the internet and increases censorship.
|ArticleType=Legislation}}

United Kingdom's [[wikipedia:Online Safety Act 2023|Online Safety Act 2023]] is a set of laws that claims to protect children and adults online.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Online Safety Act: explainer |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer |website=Gov.uk}}</ref> The act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-4 Section 4]).

One of the duties of the act requires affected websites to implement their own solution for identity verification such that it is highly effective to prove one's age ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-12-6 Section 12.6]). There is no official government-sanctioned identity verification platform. Each service provider must implement their own solution or find a third party solution to use to remain compliant.

While the press release says "the measures platforms have to put in place must confirm your age without collecting or storing personal data, unless absolutely necessary,"<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Peter |date=2025-08-01 |title=Keeping children safe online: changes to the Online Safety Act explained |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/keeping-children-safe-online-changes-to-the-online-safety-act-explained |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Gov.UK}}</ref> the legislation requires that companies track usage by specific people and provide data and/or remote access to Ofcom on demand ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-100 Section 100]) <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=2025-07-25 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50 |journal=UK Public General Acts |volume=2023 |issue=50}}</ref>
Enforcement of this act is done by the UK's Office of Communications ([[OFCOM]]). The penalty for breaking these rules is the greater of £18 million and 10% of the person’s qualifying worldwide revenue ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#schedule-13-paragraph-4 Schedule 13.4]).<ref name=":1" />

==Background==
The Online Safety Act is a "Bill to make provision for and in connection with the regulation by [[OFCOM]] of certain internet services; for and in connection with communications offences; and for connected purposes."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-19 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=UK Parliament: Parliamentary Bills}}</ref>

The Online Safety Act received royal assent on 26 October 2023, following five years of work by [[Carnegie UK]], working in concert with over 50 partners. In 2018, Carnegie UK published a series of blogs by [[William Perrin]] and [[Professor Lorna Woods]], outlining the proposal for social media regulation. The UK Government published its [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/online-harms-white-paper White Paper] on 8 April 2019, tackling online harm, with a duty of care approach at its core. Carnegie UK ended their work on the Online Safety Act in October 2023.<ref name="online-safety-and-carnegie-uk">{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Sarah |date=26 October 2023 |title=Online safety and Carnegie UK |url=https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250701203854/https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-date=2025-07-01 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Carnegie UK}}</ref>

The bill was sponsored by [[Michelle Donelan]], the (now former) Conservative MP for Chippenham and [[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay]], a current member of the House of Lords. Both on behalf of the [[UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport]]. <ref name=":4" />

The Online Safety Act is one act in two different stages. The original that reached royal assent on 26 October 2023 under [[Rishi Sunak]]'s Conservative government, and the amended version in 2025, under [[Kier Starmer]]'s Labour government. In February 2025, amendments related to making corporations more accountable for the content on their websites, as well as accountability for people accessing inappropriate content were brought to and voted on in parliament. The bill was changed again in May 2025 to include biometric face scans and government ID requirements, which was was not voted on in parliament.

[[OFCOM]], the UK's Office of Communications, is the regulator for the Online Safety Act. {{Ph-I-B}}

[[William Perrin]] has also assisted in creation of [[OFCOM]] <ref>{{Cite web |title=William Perrin - International Institute of Communications |url=https://www.iicom.org/profile/william-perrin/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250817131102/https://www.iicom.org/profile/william-perrin/ |archive-date=2025-08-17 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=iicom.org}}</ref>. Due to the Ofcom having to handle the Online Safey Act and [[William Perrin]]'s ties to both Carnegie UK and Ofcom, this would be subject to a conflict of interest investigation however due to Carnegie UK stopping their work with the Online Safey Act <ref name="online-safety-and-carnegie-uk" />, such investigations never took place.

==The impact==
Since the UK Online Safety Act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other, <ref name=":2" /> it has a broad impact across the entire internet for those accessing websites from within the UK. All online services that [[OFCOM]] deems to be within the scope of the Online Safety Act must incorporate an identity verification process to determine each user's age.<ref name=":3" /> This has forced many websites to geo-block the UK because they are too small to justify or afford implementing their own the identity verification process or partnering with a third provider. A list of affected websites is available on [https://OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk]. {{Ph-I-I}}

===Spotify===
To view age-restricted content on [[Spotify]], users in the UK are now asked for facial scanning; if that fails, ID verification can only correct the error.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cole |first=Samantha |title=Spotify Is Forcing Users to Undergo Face Scanning to Access Explicit Content |url=https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=404 Media |date=30 July 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250730160610/https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |archive-date=30 July 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===YouTube===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}
On July 30, 2025, [[YouTube]] responded by announcing its verification system, requesting users for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, in order to show that users are 18 and older. Age will be estimated through various information, including videos watched, and would lock users flagged below 18 unless they send one of aforementioned proofs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

===Wikipedia===
The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] (WMF) sued the United Kingdom to prevent them from forcing age checks on their websites. The WMF made a statement that being forced to comply with this act would compromise the privacy of its editors and the neutrality of the encyclopedia. On August 11, 2025, the London High Court denied the WMF's reasoning, but didn't necessarily force age checks for the website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Castro |first=Chiara |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Case dismissed – Wikipedia loses UK Online Safety Act legal challenge, but it may still be safe from age checks |url=https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/case-dismissed-wikipedia-loses-uk-online-safety-act-legal-challenge-but-it-may-still-be-safe-from-age-checks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2025 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Challenges UK Online Safety Act Regulations |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/08/11/wikimedia-foundation-challenges-uk-online-safety-act-regulations/}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
{{Ph-I-ConR}}
United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref name="UK_VPN">{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register}}</ref> As of August 16, 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |date=2025-04-22 |title=Repeal the Online Safety Act |url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |website=Petitions: UK Government and Parliament}}</ref>

===OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk===
[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/in_memoriam/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is operated by Neil Brown<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}}</ref>, a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.

==Government response==
Ofcom discouraged the promotion of VPNs.<ref name="UK_VPN" />

UK Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for debate. On 28 July 2025, when the petition to repeal the act had about 400,000 signatures, the government responded with this message: "The Government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, and is working closely with Ofcom to implement the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit from its protections.", only a few days after coming into force.<ref name=":0" /> This was only after three days (25 July 2025) the "highly effective age assurance" requirement came into force.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |date=2025-07-24 |title=Collection: Online Safety Act |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/online-safety-act |website=Gov.UK}}</ref>

The technology minister [[Peter Kyle]] said on Good Morning Britain, "if you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. Not those who want to keep children safe."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-07-29 |title=Peter Kyle Says 'Nigel Farage Is on the Side of Predators' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-MaeOLISlA |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Good Morning Britain, Youtube}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Legislation in Europe]]

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-17T13:56:04Z

-u-n-: /*The impact*/ Spotify face verification

{{StubNotice}}
{{IncidentCargo
|StartDate=2023-10-26
|Status=Active
|Type=Digital restrictions
|Description=On 26 October 2023, the UK Online Safety Act passed and became law. This act restricts the freedom of UK users of the internet and increases censorship.
|ArticleType=Legislation}}

United Kingdom's [[wikipedia:Online Safety Act 2023|Online Safety Act 2023]] is a set of laws that claims to protect children and adults online.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Online Safety Act: explainer |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer |website=Gov.uk}}</ref> The act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other.

The act requires all affected websites to implement their own solution for identity verification to prove one's age. There is no official government-sanctioned identity verification platform. Each service provider must implement their own solution or find a third party solution to use to remain compliant.

While the press release says "the measures platforms have to put in place must confirm your age without collecting or storing personal data, unless absolutely necessary,"<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Kyle |first=Peter |date=2025-08-01 |title=Keeping children safe online: changes to the Online Safety Act explained |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/keeping-children-safe-online-changes-to-the-online-safety-act-explained |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Gov.UK}}</ref> the legislation requires that companies track usage by specific people and provide data and/or remote access to Ofcom on demand ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#section-100 Section 100]) <ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=2025-07-25 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50 |journal=UK Public General Acts |volume=2023 |issue=50}}</ref>
Enforcement of this act is done by the UK's Office of Communications ([[OFCOM]]). The penalty for breaking these rules is the greater of £18 million and 10% of the person’s qualifying worldwide revenue ([https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50#schedule-13-paragraph-4 Schedule 13.4]).<ref name=":1" />

==Background==
The Online Safety Act is a "Bill to make provision for and in connection with the regulation by [[OFCOM]] of certain internet services; for and in connection with communications offences; and for connected purposes."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-08-19 |title=Online Safety Act 2023 |url=https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3137 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=UK Parliament: Parliamentary Bills}}</ref>

The Online Safety Act received royal assent on 26 October 2023, following five years of work by [[Carnegie UK]], working in concert with over 50 partners. In 2018, Carnegie UK published a series of blogs by [[William Perrin]] and [[Professor Lorna Woods]], outlining the proposal for social media regulation. The UK Government published its [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/online-harms-white-paper White Paper] on 8 April 2019, tackling online harm, with a duty of care approach at its core. Carnegie UK ended their work on the Online Safety Act in October 2023.<ref name="online-safety-and-carnegie-uk">{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Sarah |date=26 October 2023 |title=Online safety and Carnegie UK |url=https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250701203854/https://carnegieuk.org/blog/online-safety-and-carnegie-uk/ |archive-date=2025-07-01 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=Carnegie UK}}</ref>

The bill was sponsored by [[Michelle Donelan]], the (now former) Conservative MP for Chippenham and [[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay]], a current member of the House of Lords. Both on behalf of the [[UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport]]. <ref name=":4" />

The Online Safety Act is one act in two different stages. The original that reached royal assent on 26 October 2023 under [[Rishi Sunak]]'s Conservative government, and the amended version in 2025, under [[Kier Starmer]]'s Labour government. In February 2025, amendments related to making corporations more accountable for the content on their websites, as well as accountability for people accessing inappropriate content were brought to and voted on in parliament. The bill was changed again in May 2025 to include biometric face scans and government ID requirements, which was was not voted on in parliament.

[[OFCOM]], the UK's Office of Communications, is the regulator for the Online Safety Act. {{Ph-I-B}}

[[William Perrin]] has also assisted in creation of [[OFCOM]] <ref>{{Cite web |title=William Perrin - International Institute of Communications |url=https://www.iicom.org/profile/william-perrin/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250817131102/https://www.iicom.org/profile/william-perrin/ |archive-date=2025-08-17 |access-date=2025-08-17 |website=iicom.org}}</ref>. Due to the Ofcom having to handle the Online Safey Act and [[William Perrin]]'s ties to both Carnegie UK and Ofcom, this would be subject to a conflict of interest investigation however due to Carnegie UK stopping their work with the Online Safey Act <ref name="online-safety-and-carnegie-uk" />, such investigations never took place.

==The impact==
Since the UK Online Safety Act applies to search services and services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other, <ref name=":2" /> it has a broad impact across the entire internet for those accessing websites from within the UK. All online services that [[OFCOM]] deems to be within the scope of the Online Safety Act must incorporate an identity verification process to determine each user's age.<ref name=":3" /> This has forced many websites to geo-block the UK because they are too small to justify or afford implementing their own the identity verification process or partnering with a third provider. A list of affected websites is available on [https://OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk]. {{Ph-I-I}}

===Spotify===
To view age-restricted content on [[Spotify]], users in the UK are now asked for facial scanning; if that fails, ID verification can only correct the error.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cole |first=Samantha |title=Spotify Is Forcing Users to Undergo Face Scanning to Access Explicit Content |url=https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |access-date=3 August 2025 |work=404 Media |date=30 July 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250730160610/https://www.404media.co/spotify-uk-age-check-verification-yoti/ |archive-date=30 July 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===YouTube===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}
On July 30, 2025, [[YouTube]] responded by announcing its verification system, requesting users for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, in order to show that users are 18 and older. Age will be estimated through various information, including videos watched, and would lock users flagged below 18 unless they send one of aforementioned proofs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

===Wikipedia===
The [[Wikimedia Foundation]] (WMF) sued the United Kingdom to prevent them from forcing age checks on their websites. The WMF made a statement that being forced to comply with this act would compromise the privacy of its editors and the neutrality of the encyclopedia. On August 11, 2025, the London High Court denied the WMF's reasoning, but didn't necessarily force age checks for the website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Castro |first=Chiara |date=August 12, 2025 |title=Case dismissed – Wikipedia loses UK Online Safety Act legal challenge, but it may still be safe from age checks |url=https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/case-dismissed-wikipedia-loses-uk-online-safety-act-legal-challenge-but-it-may-still-be-safe-from-age-checks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 August 2025 |title=Wikimedia Foundation Challenges UK Online Safety Act Regulations |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2025/08/11/wikimedia-foundation-challenges-uk-online-safety-act-regulations/}}</ref>

==Consumer response==
{{Ph-I-ConR}}
United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref name="UK_VPN">{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register}}</ref> As of August 16, 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |date=2025-04-22 |title=Repeal the Online Safety Act |url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903 |website=Petitions: UK Government and Parliament}}</ref>

===OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk===
[https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/in_memoriam/ OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk] is operated by Neil Brown<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk |url=https://onlinesafetyact.co.uk/contact/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=OnlineSafetyAct.co.uk}}</ref>, a UK tech lawyer ([https://decoded.legal decoded.legal]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Neil |title=Neil Brown (@neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk) |url=https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/@neil |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=mastodon.neilzone.co.uk}}</ref> It lists all of the websites affected by the Online Safety Act, with the help of user submissions.

==Government response==
Ofcom discouraged the promotion of VPNs.<ref name="UK_VPN" />

UK Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for debate. On 28 July 2025, when the petition to repeal the act had about 400,000 signatures, the government responded with this message: "The Government has no plans to repeal the Online Safety Act, and is working closely with Ofcom to implement the Act as quickly and effectively as possible to enable UK users to benefit from its protections.", only a few days after coming into force.<ref name=":0" /> This was only after three days (25 July 2025) the "highly effective age assurance" requirement came into force.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Department for Science, Innovation and Technology |date=2025-07-24 |title=Collection: Online Safety Act |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/online-safety-act |website=Gov.UK}}</ref>

The technology minister [[Peter Kyle]] said on Good Morning Britain, "if you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. Not those who want to keep children safe."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-07-29 |title=Peter Kyle Says 'Nigel Farage Is on the Side of Predators' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-MaeOLISlA |access-date=2025-08-16 |work=Good Morning Britain, Youtube}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Legislation in Europe]]

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-16T10:06:48Z

-u-n-: Add to category

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-16T09:08:07Z

-u-n-: Turned to a section

Steam

2025-08-16T08:38:41Z

-u-n-: Related

{{ProductCargo
|Company=Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Epic Games
|ReleaseYear=2003
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Digital storefront, Video games
|Logo=Steam.png
|Website=https://store.steampowered.com
|Description=Online storefront for PC games. Users who "purchase" games own a revocable license, which in return mislead buyers. Data breaches and lawsuits follow.
}}

'''Steam''' is a digital storefront and service for video-game distribution, operated by [[Valve|Valve Corporation]]. Launched in 2003, it has grown to become the largest digital-distribution platform for PC gaming, with over 130 million monthly active users as of 2024. The platform offers services for [[digital rights management]] (DRM), server hosting, video streaming, and social networking.<ref>[https://www.valvesoftware.com/en/about "At Valve we make games, Steam, and hardware."] ''Valve Corporation''. 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref>

==Consumer impact summary==
====Privacy====
*Collects extensive personal data including email, location, payment details, and device information<ref name="privacy-policy">[https://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/ "Privacy Policy Agreement."] ''Steam''. February 14, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref>
*Records and stores all user communications through platform features<ref name="privacy-policy" />
*Keeps certain user data indefinitely for "gameplay consistency" even after account deletion<ref name="privacy-policy" />
*Tracks gaming behavior including preferences, progress, playtime, and device usage<ref name="privacy-policy" />
*Shares user data with game developers and third-party service providers<ref name="privacy-policy" />
*Makes user profile data publicly available through Steamworks API<ref name="privacy-policy" />
*Uses cookies and similar technologies for tracking across websites<ref name="privacy-policy" />
*Retains transaction data for up to 10 years after account closure<ref name="privacy-policy" />

====Freedom====
*Users do not own purchased games, only receive limited licenses<ref name="subscriber-agreement">[https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement "Steam Subscriber Agreement."] ''Steam''. September 26, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref>
*Can terminate access to paid content at Valve's discretion<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
*No right to transfer or resell purchased games<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
*Imposes regional restrictions on game activation and playing via IP address geolocation<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
*Can unilaterally modify terms with 30-day notice<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
*Mandatory client updates (sometimes over 100MB) required to launch Steam & access library<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
*Users must accept all changes to maintain access to purchased content<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
*No option to opt out of core data collection while using service<ref name="privacy-policy" />

*Transparency
**Provides clear refund policy for games (any game played less than 2 hours within 14 days)<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
**It will mainly reference instances where the product prevents inspection or is intentionally confusing
**Maintains detailed system requirements information for all games (developer-submitted)<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
**Offers comprehensive privacy policy in accessible language<ref name="privacy-policy" />
**Unclear processes for account termination and data removal<ref name="privacy-policy" />
**Limited transparency about content moderation decisions<ref name="subscriber-agreement" />
**Vague about specific data retention timeframes<ref name="privacy-policy" />
**No clear disclosure of recommendation algorithm factors<ref name="privacy-policy" />

====Business model====
Steam makes money from every purchase of games on the platform, with 30% of the sale going to them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/that-lawsuit-against-steams-30-cut-of-game-sales-is-now-a-class-action-meaning-many-other-developers-could-benefit|title=That lawsuit against Steam’s 30% cut of game sales is now a class action, meaning many other developers could benefit|first=Edwin|last=Evans-Thirlwell|date=2024-11-28|work=Rock Paper Shotgun|access-date=2025-08-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250725042630/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/that-lawsuit-against-steams-30-cut-of-game-sales-is-now-a-class-action-meaning-many-other-developers-could-benefit|archive-date=2025-07-25|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Market control====
As of 2021, Steam has over 132 million players utilizing the service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/group/4145017/view/3133946090937137590|title=Steam - 2021 Year in Review|work=Steam|date=2022-03-08|access-date=2025-08-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816161655/https://store.steampowered.com/news/group/4145017/view/3133946090937137590|archive-date=2022-08-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Incidents==
===Customer database hack (''Oct. 2011'')===
In October 2011, Valve was forced to temporarily close the Steam Community forums following security-breach concerns. Days later, the company confirmed that hackers had compromised one of its customer databases. The compromised database contained user information, including encrypted credit-card numbers, billing addresses, purchase histories, email addresses, and encrypted passwords for Steam accounts.<ref>Johnson, Casey (November 10, 2011). [https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/11/valve-confirms-steam-hack-credit-cards-personal-info-may-be-stolen/ "Valve confirms Steam hack: credit cards, personal info may be stolen"]. ''Ars Technica''. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref>

At the time of disclosure, Valve stated they had no evidence that the encrypted credit-card numbers or personally identifying information had been taken, nor was there evidence that the encryption on the credit-card numbers or passwords had been cracked. Nevertheless, they advised users to closely monitor their credit-card activity and statements as a precautionary measure.

===Antitrust ruling: Geo-blocking (''Jan. 2021'')===
On January 20, 2021, the European Commission fined Valve, owner of Steam, €1.6 million for breaching EU antitrust rules by engaging in geo-blocking practices through Steam within the European Economic Area (‘EEA'). Five PC video game publishers have also been fined for engaging with Valve through Steam in geo-blocking practices by "requesting Valve to set up geographical restrictions and to provide geo-blocked Steam activation keys"(EU Commission, 2021). The fines for the publishers was reduced due to the cooperation of the five publishers with the Commision. Valve did not cooperate with the Commission.<ref>Antitrust: Commission fines Valve and five publishers of PC video games € 7.8 million for “geo-blocking” practices. (2021, Jan, 20). ec.europa.eu. Retrieved May 26, 2025, from https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_170</ref>

===Modification to terms-of-service (''Sep. 2024'')===

{{Main|Valve removes arbitration requirement from Steam Subscriber Agreement}}
In September 2024, Steam implemented significant changes to its subscriber agreement that altered user rights and game-ownership terms. Additionally, it removed [[Forced Arbitration|forced arbitration]] from the Steam Subscriber Agreement.<ref>Carpenter, Nicole (September 27, 2024). [https://www.polygon.com/explained/457557/valve-arbitration-steam-subscriber-agreements "Valve removes arbitration from its Steam agreements — here's what that means for you"]. ''Polygon''. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref><ref>Rossmann, Louis (September 27, 2024). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f81qXxggo8 "Steam altered the terms of the sale; you'll be happy they altered it further!"] ''YouTube''. Retrieved January 17, 2025.</ref> Key changes included:
*Enhanced ability to terminate accounts for violations
*Additional data collection and sharing provisions
*Modified dispute resolution procedures

===Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam (''Jul. 2025'')===
{{Main|Valve allows ISPs and payment processors to censor content on Steam}}
In an update for Steam's Rules and Guidelines for developers,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Steamworks Documentation - Onboarding |url=https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250719092925/https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding |archive-date=Jul 19, 2025 |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |website=Steamworks Documentation}}</ref> a new rule was added within the section detailing what content can not be included on Steam:<blockquote>15. Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content.</blockquote>This addition was made with pressure coming from payment processors such as [[Visa]], [[Mastercard]], and [[PayPal]]. Most, if not all content taken down from the platform was adult in nature,<ref>{{Cite news |last=techopse |date=Jul 18, 2025 |title=Valve Submits to VISA and MasterCard’s Moral Crusade, Escalating Censorship of “Problematic” Games on Steam |url=https://www.techopse.com/valve-submits-to-visa-and-mastercards-moral-crusade-escalating-censorship-of-problematic-games-on-steam/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=Techopse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bonk |first=Lawrence |date=Jul 16, 2025 |title=Steam now bans games that violate the 'rules and standards' of payment processors and banks |url=https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-now-bans-games-that-violate-the-rules-and-standards-of-payment-processors-and-banks-164222173.html |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=Engadget}}</ref> however, allowing both payment processors and ISPs to judge whether or not content on the platform can be taken down puts consumer choice at risk. Reportedly, Japanese developers creating "adult-oriented" games in general have also been refused payment via their banks just after this rule change.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Jan 30, 2025 |title=Adult game devs in Japan can’t receive revenue from Steam as Japanese banks reportedly make the “comprehensive decision” to block transfers |url=https://peoplic.com/adult-game-devs-in-japan-cant-receive-revenue-from-steam-as-japanese-banks-reportedly-make-the-comprehensive-decision-to-block-transfers/ |access-date=Jul 19, 2025 |work=peoplic}}</ref>

In addition, game developers and consumers have noticed that some content was removed or delisted despite not being 18+ while having LGBT tags or themes. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Gossling |first=Cedric |date=2025-08-01 |title=Steam and Itch.io Delist LGBTQ+ and NSFW Content Following Payment Pressure |url=https://www.gameshub.com/news/news/steam-itchio-delist-lgbtq-nsfw-games-2790936/ |access-date=2025-08-12 |website=Gameshub}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[itch.io]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Services]]
[[Category:Valve Corporation]]

UK Online Safety Act

2025-08-15T18:32:49Z

-u-n-: Flood a few details to establish the article

{{delete|no article contents or references}}
{{IncidentCargo
|StartDate=2023-10-26
|Status=Active
|Type=Digital restrictions
|Description=On 26 October 2023, the UK Online Safety Act passed and became law. This act restricts the freedom of UK users of the internet and increases censorship.
|ArticleType=Legislation}}
{{Ph-I-Int}}

United Kingdom's [[wikipedia:Online Safety Act 2023|Online Safety Act 2023]] is a law that aims to protect users from illegal and harmful content, while contributing to a more age-appropriate experience.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2025 |title=Online Safety Act: explainer |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer |website=Gov.uk}}</ref>

==Background==
{{Ph-I-B}}

==Websites affected==
{{Ph-I-I}}

===YouTube===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}
On July 30, 2025, [[YouTube]] responded by announcing its verification system, requesting users for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, in order to show that users are 18 and older. Age will be estimated through various information, including videos watched, and would lock users flagged below 18 unless they send one of aforementioned proofs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

UK Government Responses {{Ph-I-ComR}}

==Consumer response==
{{Ph-I-ConR}}
United Kingdom saw an increased VPN usage by 1400 percent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Speed |first=Richard |date=July 28, 2025 |title=UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act |url=https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/uk_vpn_demand_soars/ |access-date=August 15, 2025 |website=The Register}}</ref> As of August 16, 2025, there has been at least 500 thousand signatures petitioning to repeal the act.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baynham |first=Alex |title= Repeal the Online Safety Act| url=https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722903}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Ph-I-C}}

YouTube

2025-08-15T17:41:13Z

-u-n-: Remove redundant wording

{{StubNotice}}

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube |website=Wikipedia |access-date=30 Jan 2025}}</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Incidents==

===Restricting users without verification===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}

On July 30, 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched, and will ask for previously mentioned personal information when it believes that the user falls below 18.

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date= |url-status=live}}</ref> but because the platform is run by a publicly shared parent company, it is forced to grow its revenue by any means necessary. This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jordan |last=Brown |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |website=33rd Square |date=20 Jan 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Aamir |last=Siddiqui |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Hans-Christian |last=Dirscherl |first2=Joel |last2=Lee |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref>), increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Arol |last=Wright |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=@T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |first=Max |last=Knoblauch |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author= @Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=[[YouTube]] |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183511/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=19 Dec 2023
}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.{{Citation needed}} YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anurag |last=Singh |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace…
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Adamya |last=Sharma |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=[[YouTube]] |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217144248/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=[[YouTube]] |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/  |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=@Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl
|website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319182149/https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl  |archive-date=19 Mar 2025}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Malia |last=Disney |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=archive.yr.media |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |first=Randy |last=Cantz |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Julia |last=Alexander |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first=Chuck |last=Jines |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=[[YouTube]] |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last= Brodkin |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Andy |last=Maxwell
|title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

Related to the incessant usage of ads on the platform and multitudes of harmful and scam ads that have gotten through YouTube's advertising system, consumers have been needing to use ad blockers while on the platform merely to watch their videos. Unfortunately, [[Google]] sparked a game of cat and mouse, and has been attempting to integrate a variant of DRM onto YouTube to make consumers watch ads.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=O'Flaherty |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Scharon |last=Harding |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> However, these attempts usually only work for a short period of time before ad blocking tools find new ways to circumvent the advertisements,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref> resulting in these actions taking place reflecting the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

There have also been attempts to inject ads directly into video streams, which has disrupted extensions such as [https://sponsor.ajay.app/ SponsorBlock], a community-driven tool for automatically skipping sponsored segments. Users submit timestamps marking the start and end of sponsored segments. The add-on's functionality is severely weakened when personalized ads, which have different durations and appear at varying timestamps for individual viewers, are injected directly into video streams.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has directly confirmed attempts to harm the experience of users who use ad blockers and also Firefox via intentionally slowing down connection speeds by 5 seconds.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile app allows you to download videos for offline consumption if you have a YouTube Premium subscription.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |title=YouTube Premium |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> However, the app's DRM prevents you from watching downloaded videos, unless the app has "phoned home" in the last 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> This caveat is not clearly disclosed on the main YouTube Premium page, instead requiring the user to navigate support articles to discover this limitation.

====Universal DRM testing====
YouTube on TV is an HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> One {{Wplink|Xbox 360}} user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions
|url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.{{Citation needed}}

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related API, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Can |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. This feature is activated by default (opt-out instead of opt-in).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help
|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results. If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube started to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch. This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered — especially if it still has low view counts — since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===Rampant bots===
For the first few moments of a video being published on the platform, the comments section of the video is swarmed by a legion of bots that aim to scam or garner attention from viewers. Most of these bots employ similar tactics to achieve their goals such as using popular public figures and/or scantily-dressed women as their profile pictures, and copy-pasting the most liked comments on the video (and edit afterwards if the comment reaches a certain threshold). These bots also spam comments that are often irrelevant to the YouTube channel or the subject matter of the video. Despite repeated requests from creators and communities alike, YouTube still has yet to implement any measures against these bots. Hence YouTubers and their teams have to manually moderate the comments on each individual video.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos:===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />

[[Category:YouTube]]
[[Category:Google]]

YouTube

2025-08-15T04:49:55Z

-u-n-: /*Restricting users without verification*/ Link to main article.

{{StubNotice}}

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube |website=Wikipedia |access-date=30 Jan 2025}}</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Incidents==

===Restricting users without verification===
{{Main|Youtubes Requirement for Government ID}}

On July 30, 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched and will ask for your mentioned personal information, and it’s worse if you’re from the united kingdom.

If you do not give them your ID, they will stop you from watching age restricted videos and make all of your uploads private

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date= |url-status=live}}</ref> but because the platform is run by a publicly shared parent company, it is forced to grow its revenue by any means necessary. This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jordan |last=Brown |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |website=33rd Square |date=20 Jan 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Aamir |last=Siddiqui |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Hans-Christian |last=Dirscherl |first2=Joel |last2=Lee |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref>), increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Arol |last=Wright |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=@T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |first=Max |last=Knoblauch |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author= @Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=[[YouTube]] |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183511/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=19 Dec 2023
}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.{{Citation needed}} YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anurag |last=Singh |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace…
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Adamya |last=Sharma |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=[[YouTube]] |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217144248/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=[[YouTube]] |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/  |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=@Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl
|website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319182149/https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl  |archive-date=19 Mar 2025}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Malia |last=Disney |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=archive.yr.media |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |first=Randy |last=Cantz |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Julia |last=Alexander |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first=Chuck |last=Jines |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=[[YouTube]] |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last= Brodkin |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Andy |last=Maxwell
|title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

Related to the incessant usage of ads on the platform and multitudes of harmful and scam ads that have gotten through YouTube's advertising system, consumers have been needing to use ad blockers while on the platform merely to watch their videos. Unfortunately, [[Google]] sparked a game of cat and mouse, and has been attempting to integrate a variant of DRM onto YouTube to make consumers watch ads.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=O'Flaherty |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Scharon |last=Harding |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> However, these attempts usually only work for a short period of time before ad blocking tools find new ways to circumvent the advertisements,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref> resulting in these actions taking place reflecting the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

There have also been attempts to inject ads directly into video streams, which has disrupted extensions such as [https://sponsor.ajay.app/ SponsorBlock], a community-driven tool for automatically skipping sponsored segments. Users submit timestamps marking the start and end of sponsored segments. The add-on's functionality is severely weakened when personalized ads, which have different durations and appear at varying timestamps for individual viewers, are injected directly into video streams.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has directly confirmed attempts to harm the experience of users who use ad blockers and also Firefox via intentionally slowing down connection speeds by 5 seconds.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile app allows you to download videos for offline consumption if you have a YouTube Premium subscription.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |title=YouTube Premium |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> However, the app's DRM prevents you from watching downloaded videos, unless the app has "phoned home" in the last 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> This caveat is not clearly disclosed on the main YouTube Premium page, instead requiring the user to navigate support articles to discover this limitation.

====Universal DRM testing====
YouTube on TV is an HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> One {{Wplink|Xbox 360}} user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions
|url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.{{Citation needed}}

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related API, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Can |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. This feature is activated by default (opt-out instead of opt-in).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help
|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results. If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube started to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch. This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered — especially if it still has low view counts — since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===Rampant bots===
For the first few moments of a video being published on the platform, the comments section of the video is swarmed by a legion of bots that aim to scam or garner attention from viewers. Most of these bots employ similar tactics to achieve their goals such as using popular public figures and/or scantily-dressed women as their profile pictures, and copy-pasting the most liked comments on the video (and edit afterwards if the comment reaches a certain threshold). These bots also spam comments that are often irrelevant to the YouTube channel or the subject matter of the video. Despite repeated requests from creators and communities alike, YouTube still has yet to implement any measures against these bots. Hence YouTubers and their teams have to manually moderate the comments on each individual video.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos:===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />

[[Category:YouTube]]
[[Category:Google]]

YouTube

2025-08-15T04:47:33Z

-u-n-: /*Incidents*/ Partly clean up section and back with a source

{{StubNotice}}

{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = YouTube
| Release Year = 2005
| Product Type = Video sharing and streaming
| In Production = Yes
| Official Website = https://youtube.com
| Logo = YouTube.png
}}

'''{{Wplink|YouTube}}''', founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, is a global video-sharing platform and one of the most visited websites in the world. Acquired by [[Google]] in 2006, YouTube has since become the dominant platform for sharing videos on the internet.

YouTube's business model is built around advertising revenue, with creators earning money through ad views, subscriptions, and other monetization options. The platform hosts a wide range of content, including music videos, tutorials, news, vlogs, and live streams. YouTube has also begun offering subscription services, such as YouTube Premium and YouTube TV, for ad-free experiences, exclusive content, and live television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube - Wikipedia |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube |website=Wikipedia |access-date=30 Jan 2025}}</ref>

YouTube has faced criticism and regulatory scrutiny on multiple fronts. Concerns have been raised about content moderation policies, the platform's role in the spread of misinformation, and its impact on user privacy, particularly in relation to data collection practices. Additionally, YouTube has been under fire for its algorithms, which some argue promote harmful or divisive content to maximize engagement.

==Incidents==

===Restricting users without verification===

On July 30, 2025, in response to the [[UK Online Safety Act]], YouTube announced a verification update that asks for either a government-issued ID, a photo, or credit card, otherwise they could not access content.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ingram |first=Michael |date=30 Jul 2025 |title=YouTube is Rolling Out A New Controversial Feature |url=https://gamerant.com/youtube-new-age-verification-feature-id-recognition/ |url-status=live |access-date=14 Aug 2025 |website=GameRant}}</ref>

YouTube will estimate the age of a user from various sources, including the videos watched and will ask for your mentioned personal information, and it’s worse if you’re from the united kingdom.

If you do not give them your ID, they will stop you from watching age restricted videos and make all of your uploads private

===Advertising overload on YouTube===
{{Main|Advertising overload}}

Advertisements are YouTube's primary source of revenue,<ref>{{Cite web |title=How YouTube Works |url=https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/sharing-revenue/ |website=YouTube |date= |access-date= |url-status=live}}</ref> but because the platform is run by a publicly shared parent company, it is forced to grow its revenue by any means necessary. This has led to advertisements becoming more pervasive on the platform<ref>{{Cite web |first=Jordan |last=Brown |title=Why YouTube Has So Many Ads (and Why There Will Probably Be More) |url=https://www.33rdsquare.com/software-app/why-youtube-has-so-many-ads-and-why-there-will-probably-be-more/ |website=33rd Square |date=20 Jan 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref> such as an increasing number of spaces for static ads, longer ad breaks (which some users have documented being longer than the videos they watch,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Aamir |last=Siddiqui |title=Frustrated YouTube viewers seek explanation for hour-long unskippable ads (Updated: Clarification) |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128162022/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-long-unskippable-ads-problem-3519957/ |archive-date=28 Jan 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Hans-Christian |last=Dirscherl |first2=Joel |last2=Lee |title=Hours-long unskippable ads spotted on YouTube. What’s going on? |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |website=PCWorld |date=28 Jan 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129183554/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2590352/hours-long-unskippable-ads-spotted-on-youtube-whats-going-on.html |archive-date=29 Jan 2025}}</ref>), increased ad frequency in videos,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Arol |last=Wright |title=YouTube is Adding Even More Ads |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |website=How-To-Geek |date=26 Apr 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426192258/https://www.howtogeek.com/youtube-is-adding-even-more-ads/ |archive-date=26 Apr 2024}}</ref> and poorer quality ads.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |author=@T3rr0r |title=BAD Mobile Game Ads |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRjGn54O4Zg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=17 Oct 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |first=Max |last=Knoblauch |title=Why are mobile game ads so weird and bad? |url=https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |website=Sherwood News |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151756/https://sherwood.news/business/mobile-game-ads-industry-fake-misleading/ |archive-date=14 Jun 2024}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |author= @Saberspark |title=The DISGUSTING State of Mobile Game Ads (and why YouTube LOVES IT) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKlfN9phAs |website=[[YouTube]] |date=18 Sep 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Practices are also put into place in order to force non-paying users into seeing these ads as well, such as subscription-gating playing videos in the background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YouTube Premium |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium?ybp=Sg0IBhIJdW5saW1pdGVk4AEC |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Furthermore, even if a user pays for YouTube premium, they do not necessarily receive an ad-free experience<ref>{{Cite web |author=CaptainMystery_123 |title=I have YouTube premium, why am I getting adds. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=18 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219183511/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18ll7y6/i_have_youtube_premium_why_am_i_getting_adds/ |archive-date=19 Dec 2023
}}</ref> — they may still see ads within the video they watch, such as sponsored segments.{{Citation needed}} YouTube has added a "skip" feature, but it has been reported that this does not work consistently.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Anurag |last=Singh |title=YouTube now lets you skip sponsored segments — but you’ll have to pay for it |url=https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |website=Dexerto |date=22 Aug 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822211151/https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/youtube-now-lets-you-skip-sponsored-segments-but-youll-have-to-pay-for-it-2872784/ |archive-date=22 Aug 2024}}</ref>

====Refusal to handle malicious ads====
A common phenomenon on YouTube's advertisements is content that is mature and/or malicious in nature.<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Beyond The Internet |title=YouTube Ads are a Disgrace…
|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B2KdIoRVo8 |website=[[YouTube]] |date=22 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web |first=Adamya |last=Sharma |title=Explicit ads are plaguing YouTube, and it’s only getting worse |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |website=Android Authority |date=27 Jan 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127062033/https://www.androidauthority.com/youtube-explicit-ads-problem-3520285/ |archive-date=27 Jan 2025}}</ref> The content of these advertisements include pornography,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Saberspark |title=YouTube's Ads Have Hit A New Low...(it's literally p*rn) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4On_gWAvI |website=[[YouTube]] |date=31 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> false advertising,<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> scams,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jakob_G |title=YouTube doesn't want to take down scam ads |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217144248/https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18gjiqy/youtube_doesnt_want_to_take_down_scam_ads/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@JerryRigEverything |title=I CAUGHT THE YOUTUBE SCAMMER - $1000 dollars EVERY DAY?! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROF9Dd7FXA |website=[[YouTube]] |date=9 Mar 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|author=LoganAH |title=Why does YouTube run blatant scams as advertisements? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=22 Dec 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250713054442/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/18osjs6/why_does_youtube_run_blatant_scams_as/  |archive-date=13 Jul 2025}}</ref> and far more. Rather than working towards clearing these ads, or acknowledging this advertising content that has been harming consumers on the platform, YouTube moderation has only cut the revenue for these videos that attempt to call out these ads,<ref>{{Cite web |author=@Deep Humor |title=Watch This Before YouTube Deletes It. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpECEQ0-hg |website=[[YouTube]] |date=24 Feb 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> which has been known to make said videos be less-showcased.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |author=@Sealow |title=Extensive evidence of algorithm censorship of demonetised videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3H8D2LrLHc |website=[[YouTube]] |date=29 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |author=Karlaplan |title=Monetisation analysis / research |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl
|website=[[Google]] |date=20 Nov 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319182149/https://docs.google.com/document/d/155yNpfR7dGKuN-4rbrvbJLcJkhGa_HqvVuyPK7UEfPo/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.jou9rc5d49jl  |archive-date=19 Mar 2025}}</ref>

===Demonetization and censorship===
Since at least 2016, YouTube has had an extensive record of censoring content that is demonetized.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> Within understandable circumstances, legitimately malicious or offensive videos would be demonetized and should not be shown on the platform; however, how videos are considered to be demonetized has had a harmful impact upon both viewers and content creators. Transgender creators on YouTube, for example, have experienced unfair censorship via demonetization since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Malia |last=Disney |title=Trans YouTubers Say They Are Being Censored. Is It The Algorithm? |url=https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |website=archive.yr.media |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130035845/https://archive.yr.media/journalism/outloud/trans-youtubers-say-they-are-being-censored-and-an-algorithm-may-be-to-blame/ |archive-date=30 Jan 2023}}</ref> Content creators affected by this unfairly balanced moderation via algorithms<ref>{{Cite web |first=Randy |last=Cantz |title=Adpocalypse: How YouTube Demonetization Imperils the Future of Free Speech |url=https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |website=Berkeley Political Review |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424095310/https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2018/05/01/adpocalypse-how-youtube-demonetization-imperils-the-future-of-free-speech/ |archive-date=24 Apr 2024}}</ref> have dubbed these events as "adpocalypses".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Julia |last=Alexander |title=YouTubers fear looming ‘adpocalypse’ after child exploitation controversy |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |website=The Verge |date=20 Feb 2019 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220205927/https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/20/18231561/youtube-child-exploitation-predators-controversy-creators-adpocalypse |archive-date=20 Feb 2019}}</ref>

====Irresponsibly automated moderation====
When YouTube integrated the ability to take down videos via the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA), they decided to often handle take-down requests in an automated manner.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |first=Chuck |last=Jines |title=ABUSE – How DMCA automated takedown notices violate free speech |url=https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |website=Chuck Jines |date=4 Mar 2025 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250303201747/https://www.chuckjines.com/abuse-dmac-automated-takedown-notices-and-free-speech/ |archive-date=3 Mar 2025}}</ref> This automation has led to an excess in fraudulent DMCA take-downs of content,<ref>{{Cite web |author=itanshi |title=I'd like to talk about the problem with anonymous DMCA take down notices. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |website=[[Reddit]] |date=27 Mar 2017 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606184354/https://old.reddit.com/r/youtube/comments/5zzr9c/id_like_to_talk_about_the_problem_with_anonymous/ |archive-date=6 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=@The Last Civil Rights Lawyer |title=“Lackluster” Gets a Fraudulent Copyright Strike for Dashcam Footage and Now We Sue |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqtT88PT9Y |website=[[YouTube]] |date=21 Jul 2021 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> even going so far as to have [[Bungie]] call out YouTube in a legal case for their negligence.<ref>{{Cite web |first=John |last= Brodkin |title=Bungie slams YouTube’s DMCA system in lawsuit against ''Destiny'' takedown fraudsters |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |website=Ars Technica |date=28 Mar 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329203809/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/bungie-slams-youtubes-dmca-system-in-lawsuit-against-destiny-takedown-fraudsters/ |archive-date=29 Mar 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Andy |last=Maxwell
|title=Digital Trails: How Bungie Identified a Mass Sender of Fake DMCA Notices |url=https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |website=TorrentFreak |date=24 Jun 2022 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624070824/https://torrentfreak.com/digital-trails-how-bungie-identified-a-mass-sender-of-fake-dmca-notices-220624/ |archive-date=24 Jun 2022}}</ref> These take-down requests have ranged from users impersonating corporations, to users impersonating other users.<ref name=":3" />

===Crackdown against ad-blockers===

Related to the incessant usage of ads on the platform and multitudes of harmful and scam ads that have gotten through YouTube's advertising system, consumers have been needing to use ad blockers while on the platform merely to watch their videos. Unfortunately, [[Google]] sparked a game of cat and mouse, and has been attempting to integrate a variant of DRM onto YouTube to make consumers watch ads.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=O'Flaherty |title=YouTube’s Ad Blocker Ban Just Got Even Bigger |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2024/06/20/youtubes-ad-blocker-ban-just-got-even-bigger/ |website=Forbes |date=20 Jun 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Scharon |last=Harding |title=YouTube’s ad blocker crackdown escalates, aggravating users |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |website=Ars Technica |date=1 Nov 2023 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101170643/https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/11/youtube-tries-to-kill-ad-blockers-in-push-for-ad-dollars-premium-subs/ |archive-date=1 Nov 2023}}</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMaFH4KzOVg YouTube blocks adblockers; will this be their downfall?]</ref> However, these attempts usually only work for a short period of time before ad blocking tools find new ways to circumvent the advertisements,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brave no longer blocking youtube ads as of March 27, 2024 |url=https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |website=Brave |date=27 May 2024 |access-date=12 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801101510/https://community.brave.com/t/brave-no-longer-blocking-youtube-ads-as-of-march-27-2024/540032 |archive-date=1 Aug 2024}}</ref> resulting in these actions taking place reflecting the {{Wplink|Streisand effect}}.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GARcKCaUfI YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible 🤣]</ref>

There have also been attempts to inject ads directly into video streams, which has disrupted extensions such as [https://sponsor.ajay.app/ SponsorBlock], a community-driven tool for automatically skipping sponsored segments. Users submit timestamps marking the start and end of sponsored segments. The add-on's functionality is severely weakened when personalized ads, which have different durations and appear at varying timestamps for individual viewers, are injected directly into video streams.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weP62wPEjRw Youtube is dedicated to making this website worse; destroys sponsorblock with ad injection changes]</ref>

Google has directly confirmed attempts to harm the experience of users who use ad blockers and also Firefox via intentionally slowing down connection speeds by 5 seconds.<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLMQRS3Krk Youtube confirms intentional slowdown of adblock users 🤦‍♂️]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x7NSw0Irc0 Is Youtube making firefox load slow on purpose?]</ref>
Further viewing:
<ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=fcXTlobPCQw Youtube goes to war with ad blockers - how companies die]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=ALvky_4mJpM Youtube adblocker gives Google the finger on their own platform]</ref><ref group="Rossmann Video">[https://youtube.com/watch?v=PTmZv7-eMrE Youtube's war on adblockers continues, sends cease & desist to invidious.io - you know what to do 😉]</ref>

====Offline video DRM====
The YouTube Mobile app allows you to download videos for offline consumption if you have a YouTube Premium subscription.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/premium |title=YouTube Premium |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> However, the app's DRM prevents you from watching downloaded videos, unless the app has "phoned home" in the last 48 hours.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch videos offline on mobile in selected countries and regions |url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6141269 |website=[[Google]] |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> This caveat is not clearly disclosed on the main YouTube Premium page, instead requiring the user to navigate support articles to discover this limitation.

====Universal DRM testing====
YouTube on TV is an HTML5 web interface from Google to allow supported devices — such as game consoles which do not have a native YouTube app — to view content via YouTube. An A/B experiment has begun which protects all video and audio content regardless of bitrate or format via the YouTube on TV platform with DRM.<ref>{{Cite web |author=coletdjnz |title=[YouTube] DRM on ALL videos with tv (TVHTML5) client #12563 |url=https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |website=GitHub |date=8 Mar 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330031529/https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/12563 |archive-date=30 Mar 2025}}</ref> One {{Wplink|Xbox 360}} user reported that the YouTube on TV functionality stopped working as a result of the DRM implementation. A number of content creators license their work uploaded to YouTube via the {{Wplink|Creative Commons}} licenses. The universal implementation of DRM to restrict a users ability to exercise their rights granted by the license is a violation of the aforementioned licenses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=License Versions
|url=https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |website=Creative Commons |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250101062938/https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/License_Versions#Application_of_effective_technological_measures_by_users_of_CC-licensed_works_prohibited |archive-date=1 Jan 2025}}</ref>

===Paywalling standard browser features===
Another premium feature of the YouTube mobile app is the ability to play videos in the background.<ref name=":0" /> Without a premium subscription, neither the app nor a web browser will play YouTube videos in the background. However, the default HTML5 video player supports this with no extra effort needed from the developer.{{Citation needed}}

===Removal of the dislike count on videos===
On 10 November 2021, YouTube removed the public dislike count from all of its videos. Creators are still be able to view dislike counts on their videos through the YouTube Studio website and app.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=An update to dislikes on YouTube |url=https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |website=YouTube Official Blog |date=10 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110173333/https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/update-to-youtube/ |archive-date=10 Nov 2021}}</ref>

According to YouTube, this was implemented after user testing revealed that users were less likely to feel incentivized to actively try and manipulate the dislike count on videos if the dislike count was not visible to them.<ref name=":2" /> This spurred the creation of "Return YouTube Dislike" by Dmitry Selivanov, a third-party web browser extension to expose the dislike count again. YouTube discontinued the related API, upon which the extension relied, on 13 December 2021. From thereon "Return YouTube Dislike" switched "to using a combination of archived dislike stats, estimates extrapolated from extension user data and estimates based on view/like ratios for videos whose dislikes weren't archived and for outdated dislike archives."<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michael |last=Can |title=Browser Extension Brings Back Dislike Count to YouTube Videos |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos
|website=PC Mag |date=29 Nov 2021 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130001311/https://www.pcmag.com/news/browser-extension-brings-back-dislike-count-to-youtube-videos |archive-date=30 Nov 2021}}</ref>

===Anti-features and dark patterns to trick the user into staying longer===
YouTube has introduced multiple features that are designed to make the user stay longer on the platform and watch more videos than they intended, thus increasing ad revenue. They come at the cost of making it harder to watch the content the user actually wants to watch.

This includes the introduction of a feature called Autoplay that resumes playback of another video (chosen by the platform) immediately after the current one ends (after a delay of about 8 seconds), in the hope that the user gets hooked and continues to watch. This feature is activated by default (opt-out instead of opt-in).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Autoplay videos - YouTube Help
|url=https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |website=[[Google]] |date=4 Apr 2025 |access-date=13 Jul 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250401080124/https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6327615?hl=en |archive-date=1 Apr 2025}}</ref>

Another feature like this is the inclusion of irrelevant videos in search results. If the user searches for something and scrolls down the list too far, the likelihood of them finding what they were looking for decreases since results are generally sorted by what the platform deems relevant to the search query. Hence, if the user scrolls down too far, it is likely that they give up and leave the site. Therefore YouTube started to add random videos out of its recommendation list for the user into the search results, increasing the probability that they see something they will click and watch. This makes it much harder and more inconvenient to find relevant search results since the user has to scroll past all the noise that is designed to distract them. It also means that a video that is actually relevant is less likely to be discovered — especially if it still has low view counts — since unrelated videos are promoted in search in its place.

===Rampant bots===
For the first few moments of a video being published on the platform, the comments section of the video is swarmed by a legion of bots that aim to scam or garner attention from viewers. Most of these bots employ similar tactics to achieve their goals such as using popular public figures and/or scantily-dressed women as their profile pictures, and copy-pasting the most liked comments on the video (and edit afterwards if the comment reaches a certain threshold). These bots also spam comments that are often irrelevant to the YouTube channel or the subject matter of the video. Despite repeated requests from creators and communities alike, YouTube still has yet to implement any measures against these bots. Hence YouTubers and their teams have to manually moderate the comments on each individual video.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Relevant Rossmann Videos:===
<references group="Rossmann Video" />

[[Category:YouTube]]
[[Category:Google]]

TikTok

2025-08-14T16:12:29Z

-u-n-: Fix ref typo

TikTok

2025-08-14T16:08:16Z

-u-n-: /*Consumer impact summary*/

TikTok

2025-08-14T15:31:51Z

-u-n-:

TikTok

2025-08-13T18:51:51Z

-u-n-: Mention briefly about US TikTok ban and attach missing citation

{{Stub}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=[[ByteDance]]
|ReleaseYear=2016
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Social media
|Logo=QuestionMark.svg
|Website=https://tiktok.com
|Description=Social media platform famous for popularizing short-form content.
}}

[[wikipedia:TikTok|TikTok]] is a social media platform developed by the Chinese internet technology company [[ByteDance|ByteDance Ltd]]. The app has been cited with numerous privacy concerns collecting user data, that eventually received a US state ban in May 2023 over Chinese government concerns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archie |first=Ayana |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Montana becomds the first state to ban TikTok |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/18/1176805559/montana-tiktok-ban |access-date=Aug 13, 2025 |website=NPR}}</ref>

TikTok serves personalized advertisements and runs its own AI-powered analytics tool for advertisers called "Insight Spotlight".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sato |first=Mia |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=TikTok will give advertisers even more data on trends and users |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/678255/tiktok-advertiser-summit-ai-targeting-data-seo |access-date=Jun 25, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref>

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}

==See also==
*[[ByteDance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:TikTok| ]]

TikTok

2025-08-13T17:49:59Z

-u-n-: Taken from Article suggestions (missing citation [ref blacklisted somehow])

{{Delete|doesn’t follow company article layout, no references}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=[[ByteDance]]
|ReleaseYear=2016
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Social media
|Logo=QuestionMark.svg
|Website=https://tiktok.com
|Description=Social media platform famous for popularizing short-form content.
}}

[[wikipedia:TikTok|TikTok]] is a social media platform developed by the Chinese internet technology company [[ByteDance|ByteDance Ltd]].

TikTok serves personalized advertisements and runs its own AI-powered analytics tool for advertisers called "Insight Spotlight".

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}

==See also==
* [[ByteDance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:TikTok| ]]

TikTok

2025-08-13T17:17:30Z

-u-n-: Add templates and sections

{{Delete|doesn’t follow company article layout, no references}}
{{ProductCargo
|Company=[[ByteDance]]
|ReleaseYear=2016
|InProduction=Yes
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Social media
|Logo=QuestionMark.svg
|Website=https://tiktok.com
|Description=Social media platform famous for popularizing short-form content.
}}

[[wikipedia:TikTok|TikTok]] is a social media platform developed by the Chinese internet technology company [[ByteDance|ByteDance Ltd]].

==Consumer impact summary==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}

==Incidents==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}

==See also==
* [[ByteDance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:TikTok| ]]

Imgur

2025-08-13T16:37:23Z

-u-n-: Proper list bulleting; elaborate more on user privacy with reference

{{StubNotice}}

{{CompanyCargo
| Description = Imgur is a media company and image sharing platform - originally founded by Alan Schaaf, it is now bought and owned by MediaLab AI, Inc.
| Founded = 2009
| Industry = Media Hosting
| Logo = Imgur.svg
| ParentCompany = MediaLab AI, Inc.
| Type = Private
| Website = https://imgur.com/
}}
'''{{Wplink|Imgur}}''' is both a media company and image sharing platform turned [[social media platform]] founded by Alan Schaaf in 2009. The platform was initially intended to act as a format for users on [[Reddit]] to share images. It has been owned by [[MediaLab AI, Inc.]] since its acquisition 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021 |title=Celebrating Imgur's Next Chapter |url=https://imgur.com/gallery/celebrating-imgurs-next-chapter-We6yCM2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/rPEUq |archive-date=2025-07-12 |access-date=2025-07-12 |website=imgur}}</ref>

==Consumer impact summary==
*User Freedom: Users can upload content to the platform, however it cannot be used as a content delivery network (CDN) as per their TOS,<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2022 |title=Imgur TOS |url=https://imgur.com/tos |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230113071334/https://imgur.com/tos |archive-date=Jan 13, 2023 |access-date=March 3, 2025 |website=Imgur.com}}</ref> despite its initial purpose being as such.
*User Privacy: Automatically collects device information, which includes device ID (for mobile devices), operating system, IP address. Uses technology such as tracking cookies to improve the "server's interaction with your device" alongside third-party advertisements.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://imgur.com/privacy |access-date=13 Aug 2025 |website=Imgur}}</ref>
*Business Model: Gain revenue via advertisements seen by consumers
*Market Control: Limited competition

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Binding arbitration (Nov 28, 2022)===
Shortly after [[MediaLab]] acquired Imgur, they updated their TOS<ref name=":02" /> to include a [[Forced arbitration|binding arbitration]] notice:<blockquote>These Terms contain a binding arbitration provision and class action waiver terms. Unless you opt out or there is a suit in small claims court, you and we agree to submit disputes to a neutral arbitrator and not to sue in court in front of a judge or jury.</blockquote>

===Advertising overload===
<blockquote>Further Reading: [[Advertising overload]]</blockquote>
[[File:Ad_Overload_Imgur.png|thumb|An example of how frequent advertisements are for users on Imgur. Via: https://imgur.com/gallery/too-many-ads-9vzuP7x]]
While initially introduced as a method for keeping the platform up amid increasing server costs since the 2010s,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Imgur staff |date=Apr 4, 2016 |title=About Ads on Imgur |url=https://blog.imgur.com/2016/04/04/ads-and-the-apps/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912072231/https://blog.imgur.com/2016/04/04/ads-and-the-apps/ |archive-date=Sep 12, 2016 |access-date=Mar 5, 2025 |work=Imgur blog}}</ref> for nearly a decade, users have been complaining about a large amount of advertisements on both the website and especially the mobile app.<ref>https://imgur.com/gallery/so-many-ads-J39ioLs</ref><ref name=":1">https://imgur.com/gallery/i-keep-getting-pop-ups-whole-browsing-on-phone-9kBpBWP</ref><ref>https://imgur.com/gallery/no-wonder-we-have-so-many-trouble-with-ads-on-imgur-NgB8lVO</ref>

Their negligence to also moderate advertisements has also led to ads of dubious quality to also be seen on both the website and mobile app.<ref>{{Cite news |last=arandompenguin |date=Jul 3, 2016 |title=Imgur and Ads: A Controversy |url=https://imgur.com/gallery/imgur-ads-controversy-8Mk43 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305205210/https://imgur.com/gallery/imgur-ads-controversy-8Mk43 |archive-date=Mar 5, 2025 |access-date=Mar 4, 2025 |work=Imgur}}</ref> Additionally malicious advertisers historically took advantage of unmitigated JavaScript vulnerabilities to cause their advertisements to immediately redirect a user's browser to their website,<ref name=":1" /> with one user reporting being redirected to a phishing website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BaldBandit |first= |date=Jul 2, 2016 |title=This is not acceptable. |url=https://imgur.com/gallery/this-is-not-acceptable-dMytYzc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305202630/https://imgur.com/gallery/this-is-not-acceptable-dMytYzc |archive-date=Mar 5, 2025 |access-date=Mar 5, 2025 |website=imgur}}</ref>

===Removal of anonymous images (2023)===
In April 2023, Imgur notified users they will start removing explicit pornographic images and ones uploaded anonymously on May 15.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Purdy |first=Kevin |date=Apr 20, 2023 |title=Hosting site Imgur will remove explicit and anonymous content next month |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04/hosting-site-imgur-will-remove-explicit-and-anonymous-content-next-month/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420171637/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04/hosting-site-imgur-will-remove-explicit-and-anonymous-content-next-month/ |archive-date=Apr 20, 2023 |access-date=Mar 5, 2025 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref> The reason stated was due to these being "old, unused, and inactive content", though artistic nudity was not affected by these changes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moon |first=Mariella |date=Apr 20, 2023 |title=Imgur to ban explicit images and delete uploads not tied to an account |url=https://www.engadget.com/imgur-to-ban-explicit-images-and-delete-uploads-not-tied-to-an-account-122537118.html?guccounter=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225023935/https://www.engadget.com/imgur-to-ban-explicit-images-and-delete-uploads-not-tied-to-an-account-122537118.html |archive-date=Dec 25, 2024 |access-date=Mar 5, 2025 |work=engadget}}</ref> Some users on [[Reddit]] mentioned this move as "a full [[Tumblr]]", with others calling Imgur "completely dead" after this change is implemented.<ref>{{Cite news |last=u/RamonaLittle |date=Apr 20, 2023 |title=Imgur has announced that they will be "removing old, unused, and inactive content that is not tied to a user account from our platform." This means that a *huge* number of images linked from reddit will become dead links. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/TheoryOfReddit/comments/12tinfp/imgur_has_announced_that_they_will_be_removing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427010856/https://old.reddit.com/r/TheoryOfReddit/comments/12tinfp/imgur_has_announced_that_they_will_be_removing/ |archive-date=Apr 27, 2023 |access-date=Mar 5, 2025 |work=Reddit}}</ref>

===Child data usage (2025)===
On March 3, 2025, it was reported Imgur, along with [[Reddit]] and [[TikTok]] were being investigated by the [[British Information Commissioner’s Office]] (ICO).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Landi |first=Martyn |date=Mar 3, 2025 |title=TikTok and others investigated over use of children’s data |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41585470.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305214845/https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41585470.html |archive-date=Mar 5, 2025 |access-date=Mar 5, 2025 |work=Irish Examiner |ref=Landi-2025-article-1}}</ref> [[Reddit]] and Imgur allegedly tailored the experience for children 13-17 through estimating or verifying a child’s age.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Landi |first=Martyn |date=Mar 3, 2025 |title=TikTok, Reddit and Imgur investigated over the use of children's data |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tiktok-reddit-imgur-investigated-over-092202216.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250305215130/https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=2_cc-session_f472bd30-fd21-4964-be45-27dbac0d4610 |archive-date=Mar 5, 2025 |access-date=Mar 5, 2025 |work=Machester Evening News via Yahoo |ref=Landi-2025-article-2}}</ref>

==See also==

*[[MediaLab AI, Inc.]]
*[[Reddit]]
*[[Social media platform]]

==References==
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