Official Blog
It’s time for #YouTubeRewind: Celebrating what you watched, shared, and created in 2017
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
#YouTubeRewind is back and we’re in love with The Shape of 2017. This year, you gave us your best
reggaeton moves
,
witnessed an eclipse
, and fell in love with a
pregnant giraffe
. There were, of course, difficult moments too, and community and togetherness felt as important as ever.
Our annual mashup brought together more amazing talent than ever before -- nearly 300 creators, viral stars, musicians, and surprise guests to be exact! -- from over 20 countries, uniting to look back at the
biggest
,
strangest
, (
squishiest
?), and most impactful trends of the year, from silly to solemn, that made pop culture in 2017 what it was. With
fidget spinners
. Obviously.
Want to be a Rewind expert? Learn about the trends and memes referenced in the video, as well as the creators who pitched in to make it possible,
here
. And if you already fancy yourself one, test your knowledge with our
trivia game
.
We're also revealing 2017's top trending videos and top music videos, according to time spent watching, sharing, commenting, liking, and more. Some familiar faces are back (Dude Perfect, Bad Lip Reading, James Corden) and some incredible talents in choreography, animation, and live performance join them. This year’s list of top trending videos represents the unbelievable diversity of creativity shared on YouTube every day and around the world.
Collectively, this year's top 10 trending videos have more than 630 million views and people spent more than a collective 40 million hours watching them. They span from much-loved YouTube creators and traditional media formats to new and innovative voices in art and entertainment.
Until We Will Become Dust - Oyster Masked (ตราบธุลีดิน - หน้ากากหอยนางรม) | THE MASK SINGER 2
ED SHEERAN - Shape Of You | Kyle Hanagami Choreography
Ping Pong Trick Shots 3 | Dude Perfect
Darci Lynne: 12-Year-Old Singing Ventriloquist Gets Golden Buzzer - America's Got Talent 2017
Ed Sheeran Carpool Karaoke
Lady Gaga's FULL Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show | NFL
"INAUGURATION DAY" — A Bad Lip Reading of Donald Trump's Inauguration
history of the entire world, i guess
In a Heartbeat - Animated Short Film
Children interrupt BBC News interview - BBC News
2017 saw some major new records broken in music, most notably by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's massive global hit. "Despacito" sits at the top of 2017's top music video list -- not just as the most-viewed music video for the year, but as the most viewed YouTube video of all time. A truly global list, this year's top 10 music videos feature artists from Puerto Rico, Colombia, France, Spain, Cuba, the United States and the U.K, and six of the videos feature Latin artists, up from just one video in 2016.
Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You [Official Video]
J Balvin, Willy William - Mi Gente (Official Video)
Maluma - Felices los 4 (Official Video)
Bruno Mars - That’s What I Like [Official Video]
Chris Jeday - Ahora Dice (Official Video) ft. J. Balvin, Ozuna, Arcángel
05. El Amante - Nicky Jam (Video Oficial) (Álbum Fénix)
Jason Derulo - Swalla (feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign) (Official Music Video)
DJ Khaled - I'm the One ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne
Enrique Iglesias - SUBEME LA RADIO (Official Video) ft. Descemer Bueno, Zion & Lennox
Head to the
YouTube Rewind channel
for all your other #YouTubeRewind needs!
Kevin Allocca, Head of Culture & Trends, and the YouTube Rewind team, recently watched “
YouTube Rewind: The Shape of 2017 | #YouTubeRewind
.”
YouTube Ads Leaderboard: The top ads you watched and shared this year
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Snoop Dogg and Desiigner rock out to Frank Sinatra, Melissa McCarthy saves the whales, and two very dedicated Samsung servicemen trek through Chandu’s sheep to help the most amazing kids ever. As 2017 comes to an end, these are the best moments from the top ads of the year.
In our annual year-end edition of the YouTube Ads Leaderboard, we’re celebrating the ads that got the most views, shares, and all around love from YouTube audiences across the globe. Together, they generated 539 million views, 14 million hours of watch time and 3.6 million likes (with an impressive 3 million of those going to YouTube’s Dude Perfect).
While each ad stood out for its own unique reason, inclusion, diversity and empowerment were the popular themes in this year’s list. Brands like adidas showed us a new generation of Originals, Budweiser told the inspiring story of founders Anheuser and Busch, and Samsung claimed the number one spot with a video that got 100 million views in its first seven weeks.
And we’ve got more. Starting today, you can vote for your favorite ads at
#TheYouTubeAd
of 2017. Tell us which ads made you laugh the hardest, cry the most, or inspired you to take a stand.
And now, we present the top ads of 2017.
Samsung India Service (SVC) – We’ll take care of you, wherever you are. #SamsungService
Clash Royale: The Last Second (Official Commercial)
Ping Pong Trick Shots 3 | Dude Perfect
MISS DIOR – The new Eau de Parfum
Budweiser 2017 Super Bowl Commercial | “Born The Hard Way”
2017 Kia Niro | “Hero’s Journey” Starring Melissa McCarthy
adidas Originals | ORIGINAL is never finished
iPhone 7 — The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day — Apple
Levi’s® "Circles" Commercial l Full
Mr. Clean | 2017 Super Bowl Ad | Cleaner of Your Dreams
Posted by Laura McClung, Head of Brand Marketing, YouTube Ads Marketing
Expanding our work against abuse of our platform
Monday, December 4, 2017
As the CEO of YouTube, I’ve seen how our open platform has been a force for creativity, learning and access to information. I’ve seen how activists have used it to advocate for social change, mobilize protests, and document war crimes. I’ve seen how it serves as both an entertainment destination and a video library for the world. I’ve seen how it has expanded economic opportunity, allowing small businesses to market and sell their goods across borders. And I’ve seen how it has helped enlighten my children, giving them a bigger, broader understanding of our world and the billions who inhabit it.
But I’ve also seen up-close that there can be another, more troubling, side of YouTube’s openness. I’ve seen how some bad actors are exploiting our openness to mislead, manipulate, harass or even harm.
In the last year, we took actions to protect our community against violent or extremist content, testing new systems to combat emerging and evolving threats. We tightened our policies on what content can appear on our platform, or earn revenue for creators. We increased our enforcement teams. And we invested in powerful new machine learning technology to scale the efforts of our human moderators to take down videos and comments that violate our policies.
Now, we are applying the lessons we’ve learned from our work fighting violent extremism content over the last year in order to tackle other problematic content. Our goal is to stay one step ahead of bad actors, making it harder for policy-violating content to surface or remain on YouTube.
More people reviewing more content
Human reviewers remain essential to both removing content and training machine learning systems because human judgment is critical to making contextualized decisions on content. Since June, our trust and safety teams have manually reviewed nearly 2 million videos for violent extremist content, helping train our machine-learning technology to identify similar videos in the future. We are also taking aggressive action on comments, launching new comment moderation tools and in some cases shutting down comments altogether. In the last few weeks we’ve used machine learning to help human reviewers find and terminate hundreds of accounts and shut down hundreds of thousands of comments. Our teams also work closely with NCMEC, the IWF, and other child safety organizations around the world to report predatory behavior and accounts to the correct law enforcement agencies.
We will continue the significant growth of our teams into next year, with the goal of bringing the total number of people across Google working to address content that might violate our policies to over 10,000 in 2018.
At the same time, we are expanding the network of academics, industry groups and subject matter experts who we can learn from and support to help us better understand emerging issues.
Tackling issues at scale
We will use our cutting-edge machine learning more widely to allow us to quickly and efficiently remove content that violates our guidelines. In June we deployed this technology to flag violent extremist content for human review and we’ve seen tremendous progress.
Since June we have removed over 150,000 videos for violent extremism.
Machine learning is helping our human reviewers remove nearly five times as many videos than they were previously.
Today, 98 percent of the videos we remove for violent extremism are flagged by our machine-learning algorithms.
Our advances in machine learning let us now take down nearly 70 percent of violent extremist content within eight hours of upload and nearly half of it in two hours and we continue to accelerate that speed.
Since we started using machine learning to flag violent and extremist content in June, the technology has reviewed and flagged content that would have taken 180,000 people working 40 hours a week to assess.
Because we have seen these positive results, we have begun training machine-learning technology across other challenging content areas, including
child safety
and hate speech.
Greater transparency
We understand that people want a clearer view of how we’re tackling problematic content. Our
Community Guidelines
give users notice about what we do not allow on our platforms and we want to share more information about how these are enforced. That’s why in 2018 we will be creating a regular report where we will provide more aggregate data about the flags we receive and the actions we take to remove videos and comments that violate our content policies. We are looking into developing additional tools to help bring even more transparency around flagged content.
A new approach to advertising on YouTube
We’re also taking actions to protect advertisers and creators from inappropriate content. We want advertisers to have peace of mind that their ads are running alongside content that reflects their brand’s values. Equally, we want to give creators confidence that their revenue won’t be hurt by the actions of bad actors.
We believe this requires a new approach to advertising on YouTube, carefully considering which channels and videos are eligible for advertising. We are planning to apply stricter criteria, conduct more manual curation, while also significantly ramping up our team of ad reviewers to ensure ads are only running where they should. This will also help vetted creators see more stability around their revenue. It’s important we get this right for both advertisers and creators, and over the next few weeks, we’ll be speaking with both to hone this approach.
We are taking these actions because it’s the right thing to do. Creators make incredible content that builds global fan bases. Fans come to YouTube to watch, share, and engage with this content. Advertisers, who want to reach those people, fund this creator economy. Each of these groups is essential to YouTube’s creative ecosystem—none can thrive on YouTube without the other—and all three deserve our best efforts.
As challenges to our platform evolve and change, our enforcement methods must and will evolve to respond to them. But no matter what challenges emerge, our commitment to combat them will be sustained and unwavering. We will take the steps necessary to protect our community and ensure that YouTube continues to be a place where creators, advertisers, and viewers can thrive.
Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube
5 ways we’re toughening our approach to protect families on YouTube and YouTube Kids
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
In recent months, we've noticed a growing trend around content on YouTube that attempts to pass as family-friendly, but is clearly not. While some of these videos may be suitable for adults, others are completely unacceptable, so we are working to remove them from YouTube. Here’s what we’re doing:
Tougher application of our Community Guidelines and faster enforcement through technology:
We have always had strict policies against child endangerment, and we partner closely with regional authorities and experts to help us enforce these policies and report to law enforcement through NCMEC. In the last couple of weeks we expanded our enforcement guidelines around removing content featuring minors that may be endangering a child, even if that was not the uploader’s intent. In the last week we terminated over 50 channels and have removed thousands of videos under these guidelines, and we will continue to work quickly to remove more every day. We also implemented policies to
age-restrict
(only available to people over 18 and logged in) content with family entertainment characters but containing mature themes or adult humor. To help surface potentially violative content, we are applying machine learning technology and automated tools to quickly find and escalate for human review.
Removing ads from inappropriate videos targeting families:
Back in June,
we posted an update
to our advertiser-friendly guidelines making it clear that we will remove ads from any content depicting family entertainment characters engaged in violent, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate behavior, even if done for comedic or satirical purposes. Since June, we've removed ads from 3M videos under this policy and we’ve further strengthened the application of that policy to remove ads from another 500K violative videos.
Blocking inappropriate comments on videos featuring minors:
We have historically used a combination of automated systems and human flagging and review to remove inappropriate sexual or predatory comments on videos featuring minors. Comments of this nature are abhorrent and we work with NCMEC to report illegal behavior to law enforcement. Starting this week we will begin taking an even more aggressive stance by turning off all comments on videos of minors where we see these types of comments.
Providing guidance for creators who make family-friendly content:
We've created a platform for people to view family-friendly content -- YouTube Kids. We want to help creators produce quality content for the YouTube Kids app, so in the coming weeks we will release a comprehensive guide on how creators can make enriching family content for the app.
Engaging and learning from experts:
While there is some content that clearly doesn’t belong on YouTube, there is other content that is more nuanced or challenging to make a clear decision on. For example, today, there are many cartoons in mainstream entertainment that are targeted towards adults, and feature characters doing things we wouldn’t necessarily want children to see. Those may be OK for YouTube.com, or if we require the viewer to be over 18, but not for someone younger. Similarly, an adult dressed as a popular family character could be questionable content for some audiences, but could also be meant for adults recorded at a comic book convention. To help us better understand how to treat this content, we will be growing the number of experts we work with, and doubling the number of Trusted Flaggers we partner with in this area.
Across the board we have scaled up resources to ensure that thousands of people are working around the clock to monitor, review and make the right decisions across our ads and content policies. These latest enforcement changes will take shape over the weeks and months ahead as we work to tackle this evolving challenge. We’re wholly committed to addressing these issues and will continue to invest the engineering and human resources needed to get it right. As a parent and as a leader in this organization, I’m determined that we do.
Johanna Wright, Vice President of Product Management at YouTube
A new way for artists to sell tickets and update fans about upcoming shows
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Cross-posted from the
YouTube Artist Blog
At YouTube, we understand the importance of helping artists find ways to build deeper connections with their fans -- the ones who not only watch and listen to videos, but are also willing to pay to see live performances. And, with live concerts becoming a bigger driver of revenue for artists, we want to help artists reach those fans, keep them updated about upcoming shows, and sell more tickets.
We’ve been experimenting with ways we can offer a ticketing experience to fans and we’re excited to announce our first ticketing partnership with Ticketmaster. Starting today, we will begin featuring hundreds of artist’s upcoming U.S. tour dates on their YouTube videos. Fans enjoying an artist's official music video on YouTube can now learn about upcoming concert listings and with a simple click, go to Ticketmaster to purchase tickets.
YouTube’s massive fan base paired with Ticketmaster’s global roster of concerts and security of verified tickets means we can easily connect a fan’s discovery of music on YouTube to their ability to purchase concert tickets.
We’re just getting started. We’ll be rolling out this feature to all artists who have Ticketmaster shows in North America with plans to expand globally. And, as part of our ongoing commitment to support artists, we’ll continue to find additional ways to make meaningful fan and artist connections.
The YouTube Music team
Celebrating Veterans Day
Friday, November 10, 2017
From heartwarming homecoming videos to personal vlogs about their service experiences, veterans turn to YouTube to help share their stories and form community. Thanks to their videos, we’ve been able to learn about some of the incredible individuals who serve our country, whether it’s Missy Lynn speaking out about
her experience in the Air Force
, Nick Bare chronicling his journey from
the start of a new business
to his
last day in the Army
, or a son sharing his Army Veteran father’s
experience with dementia
.
Ahead of this year's Veterans Day, YouTube is sharing a new video to honor veterans for their service and all of the things they do every day -- for their families, for their communities, and for our nation. To those of us who haven’t served, Veterans Day is also an opportunity for us to better understand what it means to be a member of the armed forces — in any country — and the contributions and sacrifices that military personnel and their families make on our behalf.
Every Veterans Day, we see a resurgence in popularity of certain video genres on YouTube, including surprise reunions and homecoming videos. Millions of people have been moved by these videos of veterans coming together with their loved ones, so to pay tribute to these special moments, we’re also revealing a list of top viewed veteran homecoming videos on the platform:
German Shepherd Fetches Ball, Returns to Find His Soldier Home from Deployment
(21M+ views)
Scuba Soldier - Back From Afghanistan Early - Surprises Family
(19M+ views)
Soldier welcomed home by happy dog!!! Drill Weekend
(15M+ views)
Cat Welcomes Home Soldier (awesome)
(13M+ views)
Dog Welcomes Home Soldier...Again
(12M+ views)
Soldier Surprises His Son
(9M+ views)
U.S. Marine Surprises His Sister During College Graduation Ceremony
(9M+ views)
Soldier Surprises Younger Sister At School, Tears Follow
(9M+ views)
Soldier dad surprises son during school assembly
(8M+ views)
Military Son Surprises Dad at 70th Birthday Party
(7M+ views)
A Heartwarming Surprise Military Reunion
(7M+ views)
U.S. Soldier Surprises Her Son During High School Football Game
(7M+ views)
U.S. Soldier Surprises Sister During High School Lunch Raffle
(6M+ views)
Soldiers Surprise Daughter at School Magic Show!
(6M+ views)
Soldier Surprises Mother in Kitchen
(6M+ views)
Airman comes home to handicapped dog from 6 month deployment!
(6M+ views)
Soldier Coming Home; Dog's Reaction
(6M+ views)
Military Mom Surprises Son at School
(5M+ views)
Woman Sobs Uncontrollably at the Surprise Return of Her Husband, a U.S. Army Soldier
(5M+ views)
Surprise Military Family Welcome Home at South Carolina Football Game
(5M+ views)
Today and every day, we at YouTube want to say thank you, veterans, for all you have done and continue to do for our country.
Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Office at YouTube, recently watched "
Military Hair and Makeup Tutorial
."
Ozuna: 'Música Sin Fronteras' - Appeal of Puerto Rico's reggaeton sensation knows no borders
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
“Back then there was salsa,” reflects 25-year-old Puerto Rican superstar Ozuna in the new documentary “Musica Sin Fronteras.” “In another era you had rock, then you had time for electronic music. Well now today it’s time for reggaeton.”
Led by the meteoric rise of “Despacito,” with its 4 billion views and counting, reggaeton and other Latin genres have dominated YouTube’s charts all year, with no signs of slowing. Currently, six of the top ten music videos on YouTube’s charts are by Latin artists, with tracks like J Balvin’s “Mi Gente” looking like they might give “Despacito” a run for its record-breaking money.
Arriving right on cue is Ozuna, who for the past three weeks has reigned at the top slot of the global YouTube Artists chart. Produced by YouTube, “Musica Sin Fronteras” traces Ozuna’s rise from local talent shows at his school to the biggest stages in the world, all while celebrating Puerto Rico’s vibrant musical culture.
“YouTube is a universal platform that allows me to reach people in Japan, China or Egypt, countries that I would never be able to reach otherwise” the San Juan, Puerto Rico, native explains. “It is the most important platform to reach the entire world.”
Writing his first song at the young age of 12, Ozuna found early inspiration from other Puerto Rican artists who turned to YouTube to spread their music. What followed were a series of do-it-yourself videos showcasing the young singer and songwriter’s undeniable raw talent. “They were low-budget videos: just us in the rain with a camera and an umbrella." Ozuna explains with a laugh. "But they came from the heart. It was starting something from nothing.”
With time the production quality increased — and so did the view counts. Early fan favorites like 2015’s “Si Tu Marido No Te Quiere” crossed 100 million views within a year of being uploaded. But while this early work established the Puerto Rican native as an undeniable star, it was the release of his debut LP “Odisea” that helped Ozuna truly cement a chapter in reggaeton’s global success. A vast departure from the EDM maximalism that reggaeton was known for in the mid-’00s, the album’s distinct sound — replete with glowing trap beats, arresting dembow rhythms and Ozuna’s unmistakable falsetto — resonated far beyond San Juan, earning massive views in places like Bogotá (317 million), Mexico City (285 million), New York (74 million) and Barcelona (31 million). Ozuna’s subscriber count now stands at over 8.1 million, with his total views across the platform recently crossing the 8 billion views mark.
“I carefully try to plan how I release my music,” Ozuna explains of his continued viral success. “I start by uploading my music videos to YouTube before anywhere else. This is to guide everyone to one single place. That way they can enjoy the full experience: the song, the visuals, the meaning.”
It’s a strategy the singer took to new heights with the video for “Siguelo Bailando,” the latest single from his debut.
Teaming with YouTube
, Ozuna is leveraging the power of his social media following to speed up the release of the highly anticipated video — when the hashtag #SigueloBailando hits 20,000, fans across the world can simultaneously experience the video’s premiere on YouTube.
For Ozuna, the creative release is yet another way to spread his music to wider and wider audiences. “I put on YouTube one single and, in 20 hours, have 5 million, 6 million people,” the crooner recently explained to the
New York Times
on his continued success. “In one month, I have 100 million. In one year, 1 billion.”
The YouTube Music Team
Introducing kid profiles, new parental controls, and a new exciting look for kids, which will begin rolling out today!
Thursday, November 2, 2017
After talking to parents all over, we know that kids who love the YouTube Kids app are getting older and want a platform that’ll grow with them. Whether kids are watching Monster High, DC Kids, LEGO, learning their ABCs, or picking up the latest tricks in Minecraft, we want YouTube Kids to help. Here’s what’s new with YouTube Kids:
When you sign in with your Google account, you get:
Kid profiles to customize your kids’ experience: Now you can create a profile for each of your kids. Even better, kid profiles work across all different devices!
App design tailored to your kid’s age: When you enter a date of birth on the kid profile, YouTube Kids changes the way the app looks. Younger kids will get less text, while older kids will get more content on the home screens.
A new setup process: The new app parent setup process will give you detailed information to help you make the right choices for your family before your kids use the app.
Passcode for kids: Kids can set a secret passcode to get into their profile (and keep their brother or sister out). Don’t worry, you can always override their passcode.
Remember, our systems work hard to filter out more mature content from the app. But no system is perfect. If you find a video that you think should not be in the app, you can block it and flag it for review. This helps make YouTube Kids better for everyone.
YouTube Kids is now live in 37 countries, has more than 70 billion views in the app, and more than 11 million weekly active viewers.
We're looking at ways to build an even better experience for families. Coming soon, we'll give parents the option to have more content available in the app experience for their child. Our team is working to identify the most relevant content categories for tweens to make the app even more awesome.
*Not available in all markets. Kid profiles are available in the following markets: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Zimbabwe.
Balaji Srinivasan, YouTube Kids Engineering Director, recently watched
Can you solve the magnet riddle? ft YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki
.
Lean back and watch YouTube TV with a new app for your big screen
Monday, October 30, 2017
Since the
launch
of YouTube TV in April, you’ve streamed live sports, local and national news, and can't-miss shows on your phone, tablet and computer. Now, we're psyched to announce our new YouTube TV app, made for the big screen.
We know you love watching TV content on, well, your TV. In fact, over half the time spent watching YouTube TV is consumed through Chromecast on the big screen. And members who stream with a Chromecast are highly engaged, watching over four hours a day on the weekends with football season back in full swing.
So today we’re excited to unveil the new YouTube TV app built for TV devices. In the next few days, you’ll be able to stream live TV through the new YouTube TV app on Android TV devices including NVIDIA SHIELD and TVs with Android TV built-in, such as Sony, as well as on the Xbox One family of devices (Xbox One, Xbox One S, and soon Xbox One X).
In the coming weeks we'll be launching the new app on Smart TVs, such as LG, Samsung, Sony, along with Apple TV. We also recently
expanded
our TV device support by launching voice commands with Google Home paired with Chromecast.
If you love the simplicity of finding your favorite content on the mobile app, you'll be happy to know you'll still find our signature tabs on the TV app as well--home, live and library. Finding, playing, and recording your favorite live TV is as simple as before.
Here's what's new on this TV app:
Control your live TV experience with your TV's remote control or game controller.
For a more cinematic look, we made the background dark on your TVs.
A new Live guide made for your big screen so you can get a sneak-peek at what's airing soon.
Never miss the action with our background playback experience built for your big screen.
Easily pick up where you left off on another device when you get home.
If you aren’t a YouTube TV member,
try it out free today
and start watching on the big screen right away. With game 6 of the World Series® tomorrow and a possibly historic game 7 on Wednesday, now's the time to start your free trial.
YouTube TV is now available in all top 50 metro areas, covering over two-thirds of the U.S. We're expanding quickly, so visit tv.youtube.com and sign up to be notified when we launch in your market.
Okalo Ikhena, YouTube TV Product Manager, recently watched all five
World Series®
games live on the big screen with the new
YouTube TV
app.
An update on our commitment to fight violent extremist content online
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
In June, we announced
four steps
we’re taking to combat terrorist content on YouTube:
Better detection and faster removal powered by machine learning;
More expert partners to help identify violative content;
Tougher standards for videos that are controversial but do not violate
our policies
; and
Amplified voices speaking out against hate and extremism.
We shared our progress across these steps in
August
and wanted to update you again on where things are today.
Better detection and faster removal
We’ve always used a mix of human flagging and human review together with technology to address controversial content on YouTube. In June, we introduced machine learning to flag violent extremism content and escalate it for human review. We continue to get faster here:
Over 83 percent
of the videos we removed for violent extremism in the last month were taken down before receiving a single human flag,
up 8 percentage points
since August.
Our teams have manually reviewed
over a million videos
to improve this flagging technology by providing large volumes of training examples.
Inevitably, both humans and machines make mistakes, and as we have increased the volume of videos for review by our teams, we have made some errors. We know we can get better and we are committed to making sure our teams are taking action on the right content. We are working on ways to educate those who share video meant to document or expose violence on how to add
necessary context
.
More experts
Outside experts are essential to advising us on our policies and flagging content for additional inputs that better train our systems. Our partner NGOs bring expert knowledge of complex issues like hate speech, radicalization, and terrorism.
We have
added 35 NGOs
to our Trusted Flagger program, which is 70 percent of the way towards our goal. These new partner NGOs represent
20 different countries
and include NGOs like the International Center for the Study of Radicalization at King’s College London and The Wahid Institute in Indonesia, which is dedicated to promoting religious freedom and tolerance.
Tougher standards
We started applying tougher treatment to videos that aren’t illegal and don’t violate our
Guidelines
, but contain controversial religious or supremacist content. These videos remain on YouTube, but they are behind a warning interstitial, aren’t recommended, monetized, and don’t have key features including comments, suggested videos, and likes. This is working as intended and helping us strike a balance between upholding free expression, by providing a historical record of content in the public interest, while also keeping these videos from being widely spread or recommended to others.
Amplify voices speaking out against hate and extremism
We continue to support programs that counter extremist messages. We are researching expansion for
Jigsaw's Redirect Method
to apply this model to new languages and search terms. We’re heavily investing in our
YouTube Creators for Change
program to support Creators who are using YouTube to tackle social issues and promote awareness, tolerance and empathy. Every month these Creators release exciting and engaging new videos and campaigns to counter hate and social divisiveness:
In September, three of our fellows, from
Australia
, the
U.K.
, and the
U.S.
, debuted their videos on the big screen at the Tribeca TV festival, tackling topics like
racism
,
xenophobia
, and
experiences of first generation immigrants
.
Local YouTube Creators in Indonesia partnered with the
MAARIF Institute
and YouTube Creators for Change Ambassador,
Cameo Project
, to visit ten different cities and train thousands of high school students on promoting tolerance and speaking out against hate speech and extremism.
We’re adding two new local Creators for Change chapters, in Israel and Spain, to the network of chapters around the world.
In addition to this work supporting voices to counter hate and extremism, last month
Google.org announced a $5 million innovation fund
to counter hate and extremism. This funding will support technology-driven solutions, as well as grassroots efforts like community youth projects that help build communities and promote resistance to radicalization.
Terrorist and violent extremist material should not be spread online. We will continue to heavily invest to fight the spread of this content, provide updates to governments, and collaborate with other companies through the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. There remains more to do so we look forward to continuing to share our progress with you.
The YouTube Team
ONE + YouTube: Join us in saying ALL #GirlsCount
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
One hundred and thirty million girls will not go to school today. These girls will be denied the joy of reading a great book, the triumph of finally figuring out an equation, and the opportunity to determine their own future.
But it is not just these girls who suffer. The entire world is missing out on a huge opportunity.
The next world-changing breakthrough might be built in a garage in Silicon Valley but if all girls had access to an education, it could also stem from the imagination of someone in South Sudan.
Closing the gender gap in education could generate an additional $112-152 billion a year for the economies of developing countries. And
130 million more educated girls would lead to 130 million more empowered women in the world.
Neither of us could be where we are today if we had been denied this right. Everything we have achieved in our careers was made possible by the quality education that shaped our lives. A seat at the table, whether in Silicon Valley, Washington, D.C., or Addis Ababa starts with a seat in the classroom. Equality
anywhere
won’t be possible until girls
everywhere
get the education they deserve
and it is our belief in this world-changing idea that brings us together today to raise our voices for #GirlsCount.
YouTube Creators for Change and ONE are united in the belief that there is power in every voice and that every girl counts. That’s why YouTube and its incredible community of creators have joined with ONE to bring attention to the 130 million girls who don’t yet have access to an education. Our goal is simple: create the longest video in history, by counting every single girl out of school. Visit
https://girlscount.one.org/
to choose your number and submit your contribution.
Top YouTubers like
TheSorryGirls
,
Whitney White
, and
Maddu Magalhães
, are all coming together to say #GirlsCount and demanding that our leaders listen.
Aboubakar Idriss
has generations of female relatives, including his sister, that are unable to read or write due to being kept out of school and hopes this can shine a light on stories like theirs.
Ensuring that every girl gets the education she deserves is going to take a global effort. Policy-makers and pop stars, CEOs and storytellers, and millions of voices in every country must speak out and urge leaders to act. 130 million girls deserve no less.
Join us as we stand together to say #GirlsCount.
Posted by Gayle Smith, ONE CEO, and Danielle Tiedt, YouTube Vice President of Marketing
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Friday, September 22, 2017
This past Friday marked the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, which started nearly 50 years ago to celebrate the rich history of Hispanics in the U.S. and the tremendous impact they’ve had on American culture and society. This year, we want to celebrate everyone who identifies as part of the Hispanic and/or Latinx community by shining a light on the amazing content that they produce on YouTube. YouTube is overflowing with stories that are rich in Latinx and Hispanic culture and perspective – and it includes voices that span a vibrant spectrum of backgrounds and experiences.
Through humor, beauty, food, music and much more, Hispanic and Latinx creators make an impact every day. They set trends, define American culture, and connect with millions of fans all at the same time. For example, just last month, Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” became the most-watched video of all time on YouTube. But while Latin music is one of the fastest growing communities on the platform, music is only one small part of a rich catalog of stories Hispanic and Latinx creators are making and sharing. We’d like to take a moment to highlight a few of those creators here:
Lele Pons
, a breakout star of 2017, showcases her pride for her heritage through humorous videos depicting what being Latinx means to her. Using humor to connect with people of all backgrounds, Lele has grown her audience to over 5 million subscribers with viral comedy videos and collabs that range from high school scenes to telenovela parodies and the hilarious
Training to be a Latina
. Similarly, Eric Ochoa (
SUPEReeeGO
), frequently parodies his experiences of growing up Mexican and was recently featured in the YouTube Red show, “Single by 30.” Like Lele, he’s taught us that exploring your background and viewpoint is a great way to build a global community of allies (and subscribers). The popularity of their content on YouTube indicates the community’s desire to see a world online that more authentically represents the world in which we live.
Many Hispanic and Latinx creators are also driving major trends on the platform. Slime videos, for example, were one of the biggest trends on YouTube this year, and DIY guru
Karina Garcia
was one of the key influencers driving the popularity of this category, with wildly popular videos like
this one
. Overall, her slime videos have amassed a whopping 225 million views. Beyond slime, she continues to connect with her community with life hack videos covering a huge range of subjects.
Beauty remains one of the top content categories on the platform and tastemaker
Manny Mua
has not only disrupted the beauty world, but he has also redefined the concept of “beauty guru.” Renowned for his gorgeous makeup tutorials, Manny was recently named Maybelline’s first ever male brand ambassador.
These creators represent just a few examples from a diverse community of Hispanic and Latinx voices on YouTube whose experiences, perspectives, stories and voices all drive a broader connected community. You can find
videos
from them and other Hispanic and Latinx influencers by visiting youtube.com/spotlight all month, with new playlists debuting every Monday through October 9. We also want to highlight fresh new content to include in this playlist, so tag your uploads #HHM or #HispanicHeritageMonth and you may see your video featured.
Danielle Tiedt, Chief Marketing Officer at YouTube, recently watched
“
Let's Talk: Being Hispanic & Latinx Books
.
”
A new YouTube look that works for you
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
When YouTube launched 12 years ago, it was a single website that supported one video format, 320x240 at 4:3 aspect ratio. Fast forward to today, and YouTube lets you watch any combination of SD, HD, 4K, 360, 3-D, and live video on nearly every device with an internet connection – from desktops to phones, tablets to TVs, game consoles, and even VR headsets.
We’ve also introduced apps and services that give you new ways to watch and get even closer to the content and creators you love. Music fans, gamers, and TV lovers each have unique experiences specifically tailored for their favorite content with
YouTube Music
,
YouTube Gaming
and
YouTube TV
. For families looking for the best way to watch together, we launched the
YouTube Kids
app. And for fans who want an uninterrupted, ad-free experience, and exclusive original content from creators, there’s the
YouTube Red
membership.
To put it simply, YouTube’s evolved … a lot. And we’re not even close to done. Over the last few months we've started releasing updates and will continue to throughout the rest of the year. When all is said and done, we'll bring a new level of functionality and a more consistent look across our desktop and mobile experiences.
Let’s start with the YouTube mobile app, which is getting a bunch of new features:
Clean new design
: We’ve made the header white to let content take the lead and moved the
navigation tabs
to the bottom of the app so they’re closer to your thumbs. We also added new
Library and Account tabs
that give you easy access to what you’re looking for.
Videos that move with you
: One of the things we’re working on is bringing gestures to YouTube. Earlier this year, we
introduced
a gesture that allows you to double tap on the left or right side of a video to fast forward or rewind 10 seconds. Give it a try! We already see billions of double taps per day. And I wanted to give you a sneak peek at another gesture I am really excited about. In the coming months, we'll experiment with a feature that lets you jump between videos with a simple swipe of your hand: just swipe left to watch a previous video or swipe right to watch the next one.
Watch at your own pace
: Users love that they are able to speed up and slow down the playback of a video on desktop, and we're excited to bring this feature to the mobile app today, so you can enjoy videos at whatever speed you prefer.
Adapt to any video, beautifully
: We've also been experimenting with new ways to display all videos in the best possible way. Soon, the YouTube player will seamlessly change shape to match the video format you’re watching, such as vertical, square or horizontal. That means you’ll always get the best viewing experience automatically – including vertical videos with no black bars on the sides!
Browse and discover while you watch
: We recently added a feature that lets you view a row of suggested videos while you’re watching in full screen. We're also working on transforming the area below the player so you can browse videos in totally new ways.
Looking beyond the YouTube app, we’ve also been
working
on a new desktop design. And thanks to all the positive feedback, we're now excited to make it available to all our users around the globe starting today! Our new look applies
Material Design
to YouTube and delivers a fresh, simple and intuitive user experience that lets content shine – because there's nothing more important than the creators and videos we all love to watch. My favorite feature of this new desktop design is Dark Theme, which turns the background dark while you watch for a more cinematic look.
The bright red cherry on top of this update sundae is a refreshed
YouTube Logo and YouTube Icon
. Designed for our multi-screen world, the updated Logo combines a cleaned up version of the YouTube wordmark and Icon, creating a more flexible design that works better across a variety of devices, even on the tiniest screens. Why’s it more flexible? When room is limited (say on a smartphone) you can use the brightened up Icon as an abbreviated Logo, which will be seen more easily and read more clearly. You’ll see the new Logo and Icon roll out across mobile and desktop today, and across all our other apps and services soon.
We know this is a lot of change, but we want to make clear that there’s one thing that stays the same: YouTube’s mission. We’re here to give people a voice and show them the world – no matter what device they use.
Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer, recently watched "
YouTube: What will you watch next?
"
YouTube Live with Kevin Durant and host sWooZie
Monday, August 21, 2017
This Tuesday, August 22, 2017, NBA Champion and Finals MVP Kevin Durant will take over The YouTube Space LA.
Hosted by
sWooZie
, Durant will be interviewed by fan favorite YouTube stars
What’s Inside
,
Hot Ones
, and
Ryan ToysReview
for a special
VR180 livestream
. The event will be broadcast live exclusively on his
YouTube channel
starting at 3 p.m. PT.
The
VR180 livestream
can be viewed on desktop and mobile devices in HD, or fans can enjoy an immersive VR experience with Cardboard, Daydream View, and PSVR.
During the livestream, Durant will meet up with Lincoln and Dan of
What’s Inside
to look inside the new
Nike KD10
. They will be joined by Nike Basketball footwear designer Leo Chang to speak more about the design and evolution of the KD signature line. He will also have fun with Ryan of
Ryan ToysReview
before meeting Sean Evans for a
Hot Ones
challenge.
“My experience on YouTube has been incredible and so has the feedback I’ve received from fans all around the world. Being able to give people an inside look at my life on and off the court, as well as push the envelope with never-before-done content is very important to me and the vision for my channel," said Durant. “As I continue to step up the level of content I deliver, and as I keep building my creative network the sky's the limit for what my team and YouTube can do together. The YouTube Live experience is a perfect example of that evolution and I look forward to having some fun as well during this livestream.”
Launched in April 2017, Durant’s channel has gained over 350,000 subscribers and nearly 11 million views fueled by video hits from
Still KD: Through the Noise
to an
epic slow motion dunk
in collaboration with YouTube sensations
The Slow Mo Guys
.
Don’t forget to
subscribe
to get notified when the action starts! See you on the livestream.
Five observations from my time at YouTube
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Earlier this year, I was asked by Google (because they know I am pre "Sucker M.C.") to work on a
Doodle
celebrating the 44th anniversary of the music that changed my life. The birth of hip-hop was a fusion of expression and technical innovation that forever changed our culture and Google wanted to celebrate the moment when it all came together.
I had one condition on participating: that the project be authentic and not some tech company’s interpretation of a cultural revolution. They couldn't agree more and the collaboration led to an amazing interactive experience that used technology and Google’s reach to celebrate the birth of hip-hop. It showed me that Google and YouTube know how to listen to feedback (in this case, mine), and are willing to work hard to get things right.
I joined Google and YouTube because I saw a great opportunity to bring tech and music together and do right by artists, the industry and fans. Eight months in, I’m more optimistic than ever that YouTube can do that, but the truth is there’s still a disconnect between YouTube and the rest of the industry.
So, how did YouTube get here? What explains the current state of YouTube’s relationship with the industry? I think there are five factors that explain the current situation.
Late to the party.
I get why some in the music industry would be skeptical of their relationship with YouTube. They were late to the subscriptions party and YouTube’s focus for many years was largely just on ads. While they have been at subscriptions for a year, and the numbers are very encouraging, YouTube must prove its credibility when it comes to its ability to shepherd their funnel of users into paid subscriptions.
But since I’ve been here, I’ve been incredibly encouraged by what I’ve seen. The team is serious about subscriptions. And now with YouTube Music and Google Play Music merging, I’m confident they will build an even better subscription service. And with more deals like the one YouTube recently signed with Warner, they’re going to be able to take it global.
Twin-engine growth.
The success of streaming subscriptions is one reason why I’m so optimistic about the future. Subscription revenue is still in its infancy, yet it’s already reaping billions for the music industry. It’s not just some business model on a whiteboard; it’s a real and rapidly growing source of cash for labels and artists today.
Some think ads are the death of the music industry. Ads are not death. Death is death. Irrelevance is death. Fans not being exposed to new music is death. My time at YouTube has me convinced that advertising is another powerful source of growth for the industry. YouTube’s ads hustle has already brought over a billion dollars in 12 months to the industry and it’s growing rapidly. Combined with YouTube’s growing subscription service, they’ve now got two engines taking the industry to a more lucrative place than it’s ever been before.
But that all depends on whether or not the industry chokes off these new sources of growth. I’m old enough to remember what the industry was saying about iTunes and Spotify before they started contributing billions to its bottom line. The growth that the industry is seeing today proves that ads and subscription thrive side by side.
Let’s talk dead presidents.
It is important that labels, publishers and YouTube come together to make transparency a reality, as I strongly believe it will help everyone in the industry move the business forward.
Artists and songwriters need to truly understand what they’re making on different platforms. It’s not enough for YouTube to say that it’s paid over $1 billion to the industry from ads. We (the labels, publishers and YouTube) must shine a light on artist royalties, show them how much they make from ads compared to subscriptions by geography and see how high their revenue is in the U.S. and compared to other services.
For instance, critics complain YouTube isn’t paying enough money for ad-supported streams compared to Spotify or Pandora. I was one of them! Then I got here and looked at the numbers myself. At over $3 per thousand streams in the U.S., YouTube is paying out more than other ad supported services.
Why doesn’t anyone know that? Because YouTube is global and the numbers get diluted by lower contributions in developing markets. But they’re working the ads hustle like crazy so payouts can ramp up quickly all around the world. If they can do that, this industry could double in the next few years.
Fortune AND fame.
Every day for the last 30 years, I’ve woken up with the same thought: maybe today’s the day I’m going to meet an artist that’s going to change pop culture. I love watching when an artist goes from obscurity to celebrity. That’s my drug.
Every artist I’ve ever worked with wanted some fame and fortune. YouTube will deliver fortune … but I think they need to be just as focused on bringing the fame. YouTube is already a great force for breaking new artists; in fact, the majority of music watchtime on YouTube is coming from its recommendations, rather than people searching for what they want to listen to. But YouTube needs to find new ways to promote and break artists and their albums so they have a chance to shine on the platform and connect with their fans. This is one of my biggest priorities and you’ll see more coming soon.
Without safe harbor, we’d all be lost at sea.
I’ve spent my professional life fighting for artists to get what they deserve. I’ve worked with the RIAA and the IFPI to fight piracy since back when the main concern was bootlegged tapes. Safe harbor has become an obsession -- with many complaining it’s the cause of all of industry’s woes. I’m not parroting the company line when I say the focus on copyright safe harbors is a distraction. Safe harbor helps open platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Soundcloud and Instagram give a voice to millions of artists around the world, making the industry more competitive and vibrant.
Every artist should be concerned if their music shows up online without credit or payment. But YouTube’s team has built a system in Content ID that helps rightsholders earn money no matter who uploads their music. As of 2016, 99.5 percent of music claims on YouTube are matched automatically by Content ID and are either removed or monetized.
Before Content ID, when a fan shared a song with a friend through a mix tape, it was called piracy. Now it's generated over $2 billion for content owners and goes far beyond what the safe harbor provision requires.
One of the first jobs I ever had in the music business was working as a road manager for Run DMC. Doing that taught me a lesson that has formed the core of what I’ve tried to do my entire career: set things up well so that the artists and fans can come together and make magic happen. I’ve spent my entire life helping artists achieve fame and fortune. I wouldn’t have joined YouTube if I didn’t believe the company was committed to delivering more revenue to artists, labels, publishers and composers -- they just have to set them up well and get out of their way.
With love and respect,
Lyor Cohen
Lyor recently watched “
Brothers Gonna Work It Out
”
Introducing a new way to share YouTube videos
Monday, August 7, 2017
Remember the first time you heard the opening beats of “
Despacito
”? Your ears perked up, your foot unconsciously tapping beneath the table. Like every “Despacito” loving person before you,
you can’t help but dance
, and when you'd finally caught your breath, you had to share it with all your friends. It would be wrong to keep something
this good
to yourself. And that means you had to copy and paste a link into an email, social or messaging app to share that moment.
But like chats around the water cooler, shouldn't sharing a video be as easy as saying, “Have you heard this new song?” We’ve been experimenting with a better way to share videos on YouTube since last year. Thanks to all your feedback, we made some improvements and are now ready to roll out this new sharing feature to all users globally.
Starting today, you can share videos with your friends and family directly on YouTube. Not only can you share and receive videos in the app, you can also chat about them right on YouTube, reply with another video, invite others to the conversation, and more. We think it’ll make sharing easier, faster and more fun on your phone. And if you want to continue sharing videos through other apps, you can still do that too.
These shared videos all live in a brand new tab on your YouTube mobile app, making it easier than ever to catch up on videos your friends have shared or to show them a few of your own favorites.
Start a group, share your favorite “Despacito” version and make a friend dance!
Benoît de Boursetty, Product Manager, recently shared “
A new way to share on YouTube
.”
An update on our commitment to fight terror content online
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
A little over a month ago, we told you about the
four new steps
we’re taking to combat terrorist content on YouTube: better detection and faster removal driven by machine learning, more experts to alert us to content that needs review, tougher standards for videos that are controversial but do not violate
our policies
, and more work in the counter-terrorism space.
We wanted to give you an update on these commitments:
Better detection and faster removal driven by machine learning
: We’ve always used a mix of technology and human review to address the ever-changing challenges around controversial content on YouTube. We recently began developing and implementing cutting-edge machine learning technology designed to help us identify and remove violent extremism and terrorism-related content in a scalable way. We have started rolling out these tools and we are already seeing some positive progress:
Speed and efficiency
: Our machine learning systems are faster and more effective than ever before. Over 75 percent of the videos we've removed for violent extremism over the past month were taken down before receiving a single human flag.
Accuracy
: The accuracy of our systems has improved dramatically due to our machine learning technology. While these tools aren’t perfect, and aren’t right for every setting, in many cases our systems have proven more accurate than humans at flagging videos that need to be removed.
Scale
: With over 400 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, finding and taking action on violent extremist content poses a significant challenge. But over the past month, our initial use of machine learning has more than doubled both the number of videos we've removed for violent extremism, as well as the rate at which we’ve taken this kind of content down.
We are encouraged by these improvements, and will continue to develop our technology in order to make even more progress. We are also hiring more people to help review and enforce our policies, and will continue to invest in technical resources to keep pace with these issues and address them responsibly.
More experts
: Of course, our systems are only as good as the the data they’re based on. Over the past weeks, we have begun working with more than 15 additional expert NGOs and institutions through our Trusted Flagger program, including the Anti-Defamation League, the No Hate Speech Movement, and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. These organizations bring expert knowledge of complex issues like hate speech, radicalization, and terrorism that will help us better identify content that is being used to radicalize and recruit extremists. We will also regularly consult these experts as we update our policies to reflect new trends. And we’ll continue to add more organizations to our network of advisors over time.
Tougher standards
: We’ll soon be applying tougher treatment to videos that aren’t illegal but have been flagged by users as potential violations of our policies on hate speech and violent extremism. If we find that these videos don’t violate our policies, but contain controversial religious or supremacist content, they will have some features removed. The videos will remain on YouTube behind an interstitial, won’t be recommended, won’t be monetized, and won’t have key features including comments, suggested videos, and likes. We’ll begin to roll this new treatment out to videos on desktop versions of YouTube in the coming weeks, and will bring it to mobile experiences soon thereafter. These new approaches entail significant new internal tools and processes, and will take time to fully implement.
Early intervention and expanding counter-extremism work
: We’ve started
rolling out features from Jigsaw’s Redirect Method
to YouTube. When people search for sensitive keywords on YouTube, they will be redirected towards a playlist of curated YouTube videos that directly confront and debunk violent extremist messages. We also continue to amplify YouTube voices speaking out against hate and radicalization through our
YouTube Creators for Change
program. Just last week, the U.K. chapter of Creators for Change,
Internet Citizens
, hosted a two-day workshop for 13-18 year-olds to help them find a positive sense of belonging online and learn skills on how to participate safely and responsibly on the internet. We also
pledged
to expand the program’s reach to 20,000 more teens across the U.K.
And over the weekend, we hosted our latest Creators for Change workshop in Bandung, Indonesia, where creators teamed up with Indonesia’s Maarif Institute to teach young people about the importance of diversity, pluralism, and tolerance.
Altogether, we have taken significant steps over the last month in our fight against online terrorism. But this is not the end. We know there is always more work to be done. With the help of new machine learning technology, deep partnerships, ongoing
collaborations
with other companies through the Global Internet Forum, and our vigilant community we are confident we can continue to make progress against this ever-changing threat. We look forward to sharing more with you in the months ahead.
The YouTube Team
Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism to hold first meeting in San Francisco
Monday, July 31, 2017
The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism is holding its first workshop on August 1, 2017, in San Francisco, where representatives from the tech industry, government, and non-governmental organizations are coming together to share information and best practices about how to counter the threat of terrorist content online.
Formed last month
by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube, the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism formalizes and structures how our companies work together to curtail the spread of terrorism and violent extremism on our hosted consumer services. Building on the work started within the EU Internet Forum and the
shared industry hash database
, the GIFCT is fostering collaboration with smaller tech companies, civil society groups and academics, and governments.
In addition to the founding companies of the GIFCT, more than two dozen other technology companies and NGOs will be participating in Tuesday's meeting. We also welcome United Kingdom Home Secretary Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP and United States Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke — as well as representatives from Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United Nations — to discuss mutual areas of cooperation.
At Tuesday's meeting we will be formalizing our goals for collaboration and identifying with smaller companies specific areas of support needed as part of the the GIFCT's workplan. Our mission is to substantially disrupt terrorists' ability to use the Internet in furthering their causes, while also respecting human rights. This disruption includes addressing the promotion of terrorism, dissemination of propaganda, and the exploitation of real-world terrorist events through online platforms. To achieve this, we will join forces around three strategies:
Employing and leveraging technology
Sharing knowledge, information and best practices, and
Conducting and funding research.
In the next several months, we also aim to achieve the following:
Secure the participation of five additional companies to the industry hash-sharing database for violent terrorist imagery; two of which have already joined: Snap Inc. and Justpaste.it
Reach 50 companies to share best practices on how to counter terrorism online through the
Tech Against Terrorism
project in partnership with ICT4Peace and the U.N. Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate
Conduct four knowledge-sharing workshops — starting in San Francisco Tuesday, with plans for further meetings later this year in other locations around the world
We believe that the best approach to tackling online terrorism is to collaborate with each other and with others outside the private sector, including civil society and government. We look forward to further cooperation as we develop a joint strategic plan over time.
Bringing new Redirect Method features to YouTube
Thursday, July 20, 2017
A month ago, we told you about
four new steps
we’re taking to combat terrorist content on YouTube. One of our core areas of focus is more work to counter online violent extremism. As a first step we’re now rolling out features from Jigsaw’s Redirect Method on YouTube.
Over the past years,
Jigsaw
partnered with
Moonshot CVE
to conduct extensive research to understand how extremist groups leverage technology to spread their message and recruit new members. From there, they created the
Redirect Method
, which uses curated video content to redirect people away from violent extremist propaganda and steer them toward video content that confronts extremist messages and debunks its mythology. Today, YouTube is rolling out a feature using the model proven by the Redirect Method: when people search for certain keywords on YouTube, we will display a playlist of videos debunking violent extremist recruiting narratives.
This early product integration of the Redirect Method on YouTube is our latest effort to provide more resources and more content that can help change minds of people at risk of being radicalized. Over the coming weeks, we hope to build on this by:
Expanding the new YouTube product functionality to a wider set of search queries in other languages beyond English.
Using machine learning to dynamically update the search query terms.
Working with expert NGOs on developing new video content designed to counter violent extremist messaging at different parts of the radicalization funnel.
Collaborating with Jigsaw to expand the “Redirect Method” in Europe.
This work is made possible by our partnerships with NGOs that are experts in this field, and we will continue to collaborate closely with them to help support their research through our technological tools. We hope our work together will also help open and broaden a dialogue about other work that can be done to counter radicalization of potential recruits.
As we develop this model of the Redirect Method on YouTube, we’ll measure success by how much this content is engaged. Stay tuned for more.
The YouTube Team
YouTube spotlight on “Country Foods”
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Everyday young professionals in India move out of their small towns to the big cities in search of their dream jobs and to earn a steady income. Srinath and Laxman did the same and they were employed by a well established media company, earning a good income to take care of their families back home.
They lived together in a small rented apartment and cooked on their own. They made their traditional recipes but frequently used YouTube to try out new cuisines. They were awestruck to see the millions of views for recipe videos on YouTube. With a background in post production, they decided to explore the opportunity for themselves and in August 2016 launched a traditional Indian recipes channel on YouTube.
Despite concerns from their families, they quit their jobs and decided to pursue this as a full-time career. When they partnered with Laxman’s 106-year-old grandmother - Mastanamma - their channel skyrocketed. Her delicious traditional recipes have received audience attention all around the world. We spoke with Srinath about their passion for food, the power of YouTube, and what lies ahead:
How did your family and friends react when you told them about your plans to quit your job and start a YouTube channel?
When I first told my wife about my plans to quit my job to start a YouTube channel, she was not very happy. At the time, I had a good job and a decent salary - we also have kids so she was not supportive of my decision and didn’t understand why I wanted to do this. But both Laxman and I were convinced that we wanted to do this - so we quit our jobs and started the channel and became YouTube creators.
What were your expectations?
We were blessed that our channel started doing well pretty quickly and we started making a similar amount of money as we were in our past jobs. This gave my family some confidence in what I was doing. But after four months, we realized that we needed to do something different to sustain our growth.
At any point did you think that this may not work?
We were visiting Laxman’s village called Gudiwada and since it’s a small village, everybody was aware of our YouTube channel. They were all very happy for us but they had no idea that we were looking for new ideas to build on our start.
That’s when Laxman’s mother suggested that we should try the recipes of Laxman’s grandmother, Mastanamma, because she makes really authentic and delicious dishes. At first we didn’t think much of it but we decided to try her food. Her food was amazing and it was not like anything we had tried before so we decided to record a few videos with her.
Our first video with her was a hit and received 3 million views. We uploaded another video titled “
Watermelon Chicken by My Granny
” and that went viral! We couldn’t believe that this recipe video hit over 8 million views. There truly is magic in her recipes and the food she makes, and that magic is now available on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. She is 106 years old and still enjoys cooking herself and for everyone. Because of YouTube, she’s able to share that passion on a global scale.
What does Mastanamma think about having her own food channel that is now popular all over the world?
Having a YouTube channel has given her new experiences that none of us ever thought were possible. She was even recently interviewed by the BBC! She doesn’t completely realize what she has created but it’s something that is connecting people all around the world. We now visit her once a month and shoot new videos for two or three days of the newest recipes she wants to share on YouTube.
Have you thought about what you want to do next?
We never expected to come this far but we’re delighted that we took a chance and our families are now very happy and supportive of our work. Our income has also gone up tremendously and our viewership comes from all over the world. We want to build on this success and are already working on a new animation channel for kids and families. We’re excited to create something unique in that space as well.
What advice does Mastanamma have for her viewers?
She says that there is no better food than the food you make yourself. Everyone should learn to cook because it’s healthier and brings people together.
#ProudToBe standing with LGBTQ+ and Creators for Change
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Happy Pride everyone! The LGBTQ+ community has been a vital part of YouTube for a long time, and as our CEO, Susan Wojcicki, stated
last week
, we want to continue supporting creators around the world who are championing the right to be themselves, love who they love, and share that experience proudly with people all across the globe.
We see firsthand how creators can be tremendous forces for good and for change. That’s why we want to shine a light on the inspirational LGBTQ+ community on YouTube who do this every day by highlighting some of their voices through our Creators for Change program. Today,
YouTube Creators for Change
is proud to launch #ProudToBe, our fifth annual Pride campaign.
The videos from this community are as varied and exceptional as the group of people making them: they’re encouraging, challenging, honest, fiery, tender, celebratory, funny, and totally badass. Thanks to these voices, people around the world can turn to YouTube to find a connection when they need it -- especially if they live in a place where they don’t have the freedom to be themselves.
With that in mind, this year we hope people around the world will join us in celebrating these all-important everyday acts of bravery and courage – some public, some personal – that make the world better for LGBTQ+ people. If you want to be a part of our #ProudToBe campaign, simply share a video or post about the first time you decided to express yourself in a way that felt truly authentic, despite what anyone said or thought.
Whatever it was, we’re here to help share your story. Because this year we’re celebrating those moments (big and small) that unlock the Pride you feel, inspire Pride in others, and show the world what makes you #ProudToBe.
Marly Ellis, Head of YouTube Brand, recently watched “
A Matter of Life or Death: LGBTQ+ Refugees | Chosen Family | Part 5
.”
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube Announce Formation of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
Monday, June 26, 2017
Today, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube are announcing the formation of the
Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
, which will help us continue to make our hosted consumer services hostile to terrorists and violent extremists.
The spread of terrorism and violent extremism is a pressing global problem and a critical challenge for us all. We take these issues very seriously, and each of our companies have developed policies and removal practices that enable us to take a hard line against terrorist or violent extremist content on our hosted consumer services. We believe that by working together, sharing the best technological and operational elements of our individual efforts, we can have a greater impact on the threat of terrorist content online.
The new forum builds on initiatives including the
EU Internet Forum
and the
Shared Industry Hash Database
; discussions with the U.K. and other governments; and the conclusions of the recent
G7
and
European Council
meetings. It will formalize and structure existing and future areas of collaboration between our companies and foster cooperation with smaller tech companies, civil society groups and academics, governments and supra-national bodies such as the EU and the U.N.
The scope of our work will evolve over time as we will need to be responsive to the ever-evolving terrorist and extremist tactics. Initially, however, our work will focus on:
Technological solutions:
Our companies will work together to refine and improve existing joint technical work, such as the Shared Industry Hash Database; exchange best practices as we develop and implement new content detection and classification techniques using machine learning; and define standard transparency reporting methods for terrorist content removals.
Research:
We will commission research to inform our counter-speech efforts and guide future technical and policy decisions around the removal of terrorist content.
Knowledge-sharing:
We will work with counter-terrorism experts including governments, civil society groups, academics and other companies to engage in shared learning about terrorism. And through a joint partnership with the U.N. Security Council Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (U.N. CTED) and the ICT4Peace Initiative, we are establishing a broad knowledge-sharing network to:
Engage with smaller companies:
We will help them develop the technology and processes necessary to tackle terrorist and extremist content online.
Develop best practices:
We already partner with organizations such as the
Center for Strategic and International Studies
,
Anti-Defamation League
a
n
d
Global Network Initiative
to identify how best to counter extremism and online hate, while respecting freedom of expression and privacy.
We can socialize these best practices, and develop additional shared learnings on topics such as community guideline development, and policy enforcement.
Counterspeech
: Each of us already has robust counterspeech initiatives in place (e.g., YouTube’s
Creators for Change
, Jigsaw’s
Redirect Method
, Facebook’s P2P and OCCI, Microsoft’s partnership with the
Institute for Strategic Dialogue for counter-narratives on Bing
, Twitter’s global NGO training program). The forum we have established allows us to learn from and contribute to one another’s counterspeech efforts, and discuss how to further empower and train civil society organizations and individuals who may be engaged in similar work and support ongoing efforts such as the Civil society empowerment project (CSEP).
We will be hosting a series of learning workshops in partnership with U.N. CTED/ICT4Peace in Silicon Valley and around the world to drive these areas of collaboration.
Further information on all of the above initiatives will be shared in due course.
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