Google's CBO Schindler blames the media for putting YouTube's video content issue on the front page

In the U.S., the media is getting beat up. Even Google is accusing the press of making a mountain out of a molehill. Firms like AT&T, Verizon and Walmart have been canceling their ads on Google owned YouTube because they have discovered that their spots are being placed before videos with racist and bigoted content. Companies like the nation's first and second largest carriers do not want to be associated with videos promoting hatred and violence.

Considering that these ads generate a ton of dough for Google, the company had to nip this in the bud. Google's chief business officer, Philip Schindler, said that the offensive videos received "less than 1/1000th of a percent of the advertisers’ total impressions." But even that was enough of a big deal for the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets to print evidence that videos supporting bigotry were being found on YouTube.

The problem is that Google seems more upset that the media is bringing this to the attention of the public than they are about the content of the offensive videos. Schindler even says that "someone (meaning the media) decided to put a bit more of a spotlight on the problem." To be sure, Google has taken steps to prevent companies from appearing to support offensive videos by giving them more say over where their ads are placed. In addition, it has tweaked its AI to make sure that no brands are advertising in front of certain videos.

Google's outrage is misplaced here. Instead of pushing out Schindler to say things like this "problem comes from the fact that somebody is aggressively putting it onto the front page," Google needs to fight against racism and bigotry. A few comments to that effect might even help Google get back the advertisers that it has lost.


source: Recode via TheGuardian