YouTube claims it connects viewers with “authoritative information” about elections, but the video platform’s decision to allow far-right conspiracy theorists and election deniers has only amplified disinformation, a New York Times investigation alleges. The platform’s 2023 decision to stop restricting false claims about the 2020 presidential election being stolen by President Joe Biden, generated significant profits for YouTube and creators spreading conspiracy theories. Now, election deniers are using their platforms on the app to make elaborate claims undermining the 2024 presidential election. According to research by MediaMatters, from May to August, the 30 top conservative channels, with commentators like Rudy Giuliani, Tucker Carlson, and Ben Shapiro, posted 286 videos containing election misinformation, garnering more than 47 million views. YouTube, researchers say, generated revenue from more than a third of those videos through ads, and some creators also profited from their videos using monetization features available to certain channels. None of the videos, a spokeswoman for the platform said, violated the site’s community guidelines. “The ability to openly debate political ideas, even those that are controversial, is an important value—especially in the midst of election season,” she told The New York Times in a statement. While YouTube said it removes videos that mislead voters, the platform only scrubbed three of the videos found by Media Matters.
