As we approach the summer blockbuster and Comic-Con footage season, it comes as no surprise that YouTube is taking firm action against channels that profit from fake footage and trailers. After numerous reports about how various online creators, such as Screen Culture, were pulling in big numbers with fake trailers, their demonetization marks the start […]
An AI-Powered Alternate Universe Where MAGA Figures Own Libs Is Thriving on YouTube
If it feels like people are living in their own universes sometimes, it’s not that far from the truth. A new report from Mother Jones digs up the surprisingly populated world of pro-MAGA, AI-generated slop videos that have carved out a niche on YouTube by turning the most r/thatHappened-ass stories into content that Boomers and […]
American Youtuber Faces Jail Time After Attempting to Contact World’s Most Isolated Tribe
Yet another U.S. social media influencer has done something dumb—and incredibly disrespectful—abroad. In March, a YouTuber named Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, who posts under the name Neo-Orientalist, attempted to illegally interact with a protected group of indigenous people called the Sentinelese, according to a statement by Survival International, an organization that advocates for the rights of […]
A Populist Influencer Is Running for Congress, and She Actually Understands YouTube
Journalist and influencer Kat Abughazaleh announced she’s running for Congress in a YouTube video. In a video that looked more like a livestream than an announcement of a bid for office, Abughazaleh promised to run a transparent campaign, fight for affordable groceries, and stand up to authoritarians. Abughazaleh is running in Illinois’ 9th district, which […]
YouTube Bans Creators From Talking About Some Gambling Sites
YouTube is going to curb the promotion of online gambling sites that have become increasingly popular in recent years. Under the new rules, creators will be prohibited from verbally referring to gambling services not approved by Google. Uploaders are also banned from displaying logos or links to them in videos. “We believe these changes are […]
YouTube’s Ad-Free Premium Plans Just Got a Cheaper Tier
YouTube announced it’s expanding its Premium subscription plan to viewers in the U.S. The new $8 a month YouTube Premium Lite plan joins the regular $14 a month Premium plan. The subscription plan lets you watch videos on YouTube without advertising for about the monthly cost of other major streaming services. The new tier is […]
An AI-Generated ‘True Crime’ Series Has Millions of Views
It was a perfect crime. AI slop is taking over the internet, and it’s making it increasingly difficult for web users to know what is real, what is fake, and what is some weird, synthetic mixture between the two. 404 Media reports on the newest frontier in this bizarre, dystopic trend, revealing the rise of […]
MrBeast Is Officially Trying to Buy TikTok
Ever since our new president, Donald Trump, temporarily saved TikTok from a nationwide ban, Americans have wondered which deep-pocketed businessman will throw his hat in the ring to buy the popular social media platform. Now, we have a new contender: viral influencer Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast). “Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t […]