# YouTube’s ad revolt seen fleeting. Brands just can’t quit Google (HT Tech) > Walt Disney Co., Nestle SA, AT&T Inc. and a slew of others paused their ads on Google’s video-sharing site after a blogger showed how YouTube can be used to forge networks of people engaged in child exploitation # YouTube’s ad revolt seen fleeting. Brands just can’t quit Google ## Walt Disney Co., Nestle SA, AT&T Inc. and a slew of others paused their ads on Google’s video-sharing site after a blogger showed how YouTube can be used to forge networks of people engaged in child exploitation Feb 24 2019, 12:07 IST ![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook.png) ![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook-hover.png) ![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Share.png) ![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Shareclicked.png) ![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp.png) ![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp-hover.png) ![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter.png) ![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter-hover.png) ![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook.png) ![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook-hover.png) ![Bookmark](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmark.png) ![Bookmarked](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmarked.png) ![The rolling boycotts haven’t stopped YouTube from bringing in billions in revenue for Google.](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2019/02/24/Pictures/youtube-music-playlist-on-apple-ipad-air_71a36a6a-37fd-11e9-9527-26b2d5de00dc.jpg) The rolling boycotts haven’t stopped YouTube from bringing in billions in revenue for Google. (Getty Images) ![Author Photo](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HTTech-new-circle-logo.png) ### By GERRIT DE VYNCK Watching the string of high-profile advertisers pull their spending from YouTube this week, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were experiencing a case of déjà vu. Walt Disney Co., Nestle SA, AT&T Inc. and a slew of others paused their ads on Google's video-sharing site after a blogger showed how YouTube can be used to forge networks of people engaged in child exploitation. The brands released strongly worded statements, and YouTube scrambled to assure its clients it was fixing the problem. It's exactly what happened last time the layer of muck buried in YouTube's billions of hours of videos came into contact with big-name advertisers, and the time before that. Walmart Inc., PepsiCo Inc. and others pulled spending in March 2017 after users found ads playing next to anti-Semitic videos. In November 2017 there was another round of outcry and boycotts because creepy and violent cartoons had been allowed onto the supposedly-safe YouTube Kids app. Also read click here. Each time advertisers have eventually returned. Even when brands have kept off YouTube for a significant amount of time, they haven't stopped paying Google to spread their message on search results and through display ads across the web. That's because the Alphabet Inc. search giant is just so vital to advertising that no company that wants to reach consumers can survive without them, said one ad agency executive who asked not to be identified because the agency often works closely with Google. Brands that say they're cutting YouTube ads often find work-arounds to stay on the platform, such as striking deals directly with influential YouTube creators to include endorsements inside videos themselves, the executive said. The rolling boycotts haven't stopped YouTube from bringing in billions in revenue for Google. Though the company won't break out specific numbers for the video site, analysts from Baird & Co. estimate it netted about $20 billion for Google in 2018 alone. The crisis this time started when a video blogger showed how predators were finding otherwise innocuous videos of young girls and using comments to flag parts of the videos showing activities that could be twisted to be construed as sexual. The blogger, Matt Watson, demonstrated how if users clicked on one of the clips, YouTube's algorithms recommended similar ones. His video has been watched more than 2.5 million times. YouTube responded quickly, disabling comments on tens of millions of videos featuring children and reporting accounts that made predatory comments to police. Google executives held a call with ad agencies and major advertisers to explain how they were tackling the problem, according to people familiar with the situation who asked not to be identified because the call was private. Google has made major changes to YouTube in the past in response to advertiser concerns. Most notably, they raised the bar for what kinds of videos are allowed to take a share of ad revenue. Since the beginning of 2018, only channels with more than 1,000 subscribed fans and 4,000 hours of viewing over a year have been eligible for ads. But the platform has resisted calls to take more drastic action, such as banning fringe political opinions, or blocking comments on any video featuring a child. Despite the criticism, the free-speech, open-platform approach championed by the company's founders still holds sway. The latest situation is still playing out, but if history is any guide, YouTube will keep growing and raking in cash for Google. "Advertisers count on Google to monitor offensive material on YouTube," said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities. If the company can show major advertisers they're tackling the problem, advertising revenues won't be hurt at all, he said. Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel. 24 Feb, 11:59 IST 71,589,384,944,607 NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS ![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png) ## Tips & Tricks ![Ghibli-style art](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/img/2025/03/28/414x233/ChatGPT_Ghibli_style_images_1743161814450_1743161814596.jpg) ### How to turn your photos into Ghibli-style art with ChatGPT for free: Step-by-step guide ![How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/img/2025/02/14/414x233/invites_1738728829564_1739543695649.png) ### How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide ![Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/img/2025/02/13/414x233/unnamed_1739426557335_1739426567634.jpg) ### Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it ![Vodafone Idea OTT plans](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Vodafone Idea users can now stream 17 OTT apps with one subscription: Here's how ![Android data transfer methods](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### How to transfer data from one Android to another using Google backup, USB-C cable, and more ## Editor’s Pick ![iPhone 16e launched with A18 chip, Apple AI—bringing flagship power on a budget: Check specs, price](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iPhone 16e launched in India: All details about the new budget mobile from Apple ![DeepSeek was founded in China with only a fraction of the budget of the top AI companies in the US.](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### DeepSeek AI: How it works, who’s behind it, how it’s different from ChatGPT, and its big US market impact explained ![iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on ![Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini ![iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update ## Trending Stories ![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order ![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC ![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more ![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report ![CMF Buds 2](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside keep up with tech ![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png) ![Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-twitter.png) ![WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-whatsApp.png) ![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png) ## Gaming ![Check out these five gaming monitors under ₹20,000,](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Top 5 gaming monitors under ₹20000 you should consider ![gaming consoles](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Grab gaming consoles at discounted rates during Amazon Great Indian Festival: Up to 72% off ![Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025 to bring Grimmsnarl family, Shiny Hatenna, and global challenges ![Shade Silver](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Shade Silver free on Steam for a limited time: Here’s how to get it ![Call of duty](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 skips Switch 2 at launch, release date and price leak ![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png) ## Trending News ### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order ![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC ![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more ![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report ![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside ![CMF Buds 2](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ## Trending Gadgets Mobiles Laptops Tablets ![HT Tech](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HT_tech-new.gif) - https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/youtube-s-ad-revolt-seen-fleeting-brands-just-can-t-quit-google-story-s0kVtFC3iOKdG8PcAJUALP.html