It’s no secret people like to complain- especially on the internet! But, did you ever imagine these raging personalities would be able to do so for profit? Well, on YouTube, almost anything is possible. In fact, there’s a whole market for profit out there, filled with angry gaming commentators criticizing and evaluating their industry. These YouTubers attract hundreds of thousands of subscribers by vehemently expressing their displeasure on various gaming topics.

Content creators of this kind tend to make their money through monetized ads. While YouTube ads may not be a sufficient source of income for the average creator, YouTube (perhaps unintentionally) assists angry commentators’ success by recommending their videos with YouTube’s automated video recommendation software.

That’s right, there’s a whole market for profit out there for gaming commentators to criticize and angrily evaluate their industry. These YouTubers attract hundreds of thousands of subscribers by expressing their anger towards gaming topics, and they make a profit off it too!

YouTube’s Hate Speech Policies to Counteract Angry Trolls

YouTube recently announced they will be taking a stricter stance against this “toxic” content. A spokesperson for the platform told CNET that “everyone on YouTube will be subject to the new hate speech policies, whether it be in videos they post or in other actions like comments or stories.”

However, it’s hard to believe that these type of YouTube videos will be removed because of the negativity and rage they create. Nowhere in YouTube’s Community Guidelines does it say negative or angry videos are prohibited. They do draw a line when it comes to violence, hateful content, and cyberbullying, though. Perhaps YouTube’s new hate speech policies are intended to target users already engaging in the aforementioned prohibited behavior.

Don’t get it twisted, though! The gaming world isn’t the only YouTube audience that enjoys angry commentary. This type of content exists in almost every category. After all, negativity and rage create controversy, which, in turn, makes money. 

Those who review makeup also use similar tactics to earn views. Some of these tactics include creating thumbnail images with angry faces, using language that insinuates a bad product, and creating videos that criticize popular items.

Regardless of whether YouTube’s new guidelines are able to prevent this type of content from gaining popularity, though, there still are reasons why users should avoid stirring up controversy. Videos of this nature often cause other users, viewers or people in general to become victims of cyberbullying and defamation.

Cyberbullying on YouTube

For example, take the feud between famous YouTubers Jake Paul and Cody Ko. Both first made a name for themself on Vine by sharing short comedy videos before the platform was eventually shut down. In an effort to continue their comedic pursuits, each would move onto YouTube, but for two completely different audiences. Cody Ko, who has over 3 million subscribers, makes videos for people who enjoy cynical/brutally honest humor. He often commentates on other YouTubers, and has a more mature podcast that college students enjoy listening to. His audience age ranges from about 15-25. Jake Paul, on the other hand, makes different types of comedic videos. He has over 5 million subscribers, and performs pranks, as well as challenges, that cater to a slightly younger audience than that of Cody Ko.

Recently, Jake Paul decided to make a video trying to “cancel” Cody Ko. After accusing Ko of bullying, Paul set out to stop people from subscribing and watching his peer’s videos by labeling him as a “cyberbully”. Now, regardless of if Jake Paul was trying to be controversial for views or if he actually believed Cody was a bully, he still attempted to defame Cody Ko. However, in this situation, Ko did not lose viewers. In fact, many people ended up taking his side. If his reputation would have been damaged by Jake Paul, though, (and Cody Ko could prove that he was not, in fact, a cyberbully (which is a crime in some states)), Cody Ko would have grounds for a defamation lawsuit.

Defamation on YouTube

A similar situation also happened in the makeup community on YouTube. Tati Westbrook has over 10 million subscribers, and does makeup reviews, as well as tutorials, on her channel. James Charles does the same type of videos on his channel, and has over 15 million subscribers. Recently, Tati made a video calling out James Charles for hitting on straight men, acting entitled, and lying about details regarding a product endorsement deal. James Charles received a lot of backlash after Tati’s video.

Then, after making multiple videos apologizing, he eventually made a video that showed evidence that he was not the kind of person Tati made him out to be. Now, with this evidence, James Charles would’ve also had grounds to file a defamation lawsuit against Tati. But, in the end, both James and Tati received a lot of publicity for this feud, and may have become even more popular because of it. In fact, Tati gained over 5 million subscribers after posting her video about James Charles, according to Metro, while James received over 44 million views for his video response to Tati titled, “No More Lies.”

In the end, it’s the viewers who decide what type of content stays popular and gains ad revenue profit. YouTube may choose to remove these type of negative and controversial videos, but considering how many viewers they bring in, we only see this happening for extreme situations.

In Need of a Defamation Lawyer or Cyberbullying Lawyer?

If you are a victim of defamation or cyberbullying on YouTube, contact the experienced attorneys at RM Warner Law. We know how to help.