YouTube's Policy Rollback Boosts Misinformation In US Election 2024, Study Finds

A study by Media Matters suggests that YouTube’s rollback of its election misinformation policy has enabled right-wing media to cast doubt on the 2024 US election results even before voting began.

YouTube had initially banned false claims of widespread fraud affecting the 2020 election outcome but reversed this policy in June 2023, a move reportedly welcomed by right-wing media.

Between May and August, Media Matters researchers monitored 30 popular YouTube channels known for consistently spreading election misinformation to analyze the narratives shared ahead of November’s election.

The 30 conservative channels posted 286 misleading election videos, amassing over 47 million views. YouTube ran ads on more than a third, generating revenue, and some creators earned additional income through the YouTube Partner Program.

Many streamers claimed that “the only way the left can win is by stealing the election,” alleging “illegal ballots” in Pennsylvania and accusing Democrats of trying to "rig" the vote, including through an “illegal alien push.”

On the similar lines, a report shared exclusively with Decode also revealed that YouTube failed to address hate speech and misinformation violations by the far-right channel Sudarshan News and instead shared ad revenue with the channel.