One day after Thanksgiving in 2017, “a fresh wave of
advertisers suspended commercials on Youtube after their ads showed up next to
videos that appeared to attract pedophile viewers.”[1]
Youtube had removed ads from roughly 3 million videos, but the company’s use of
human and AI checkers simply could not keep pace with the number of uploaded
videos. Even so, Diageo, maker of Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker (alcohol drinks),
announced it would hold off its ads until “appropriate safeguards are in
place.”[2]
Mars and Adidas took a similar line. The question is whether those advertisers
were being fair to Youtube and even the producers of the videos.
The full essay is at Advertisers and YouTube.
