- YouTube still hosts Andrew Tate videos accessible to teens under 16.
- 100+ videos with 54M+ combined views contain misogynistic content.
- YouTube’s algorithm recommended Tate videos to newly created teen accounts.
- Ads were still being served alongside banned content.
- Renewed pressure to include YouTube in under-16s platform restrictions.
A new report has reignited concerns over YouTube’s failure to effectively restrict access to harmful content, particularly for teenagers. Despite a 2022 ban on Andrew Tate’s channels, teens as young as 13 can still access Tate’s misogynistic content. Researchers tested new accounts simulating 13-year-old users and discovered over 100 videos promoting his messages, with over 54 million views in total.
Many of these videos were not only accessible but actively recommended by YouTube’s algorithm. Some were monetised with ads, despite clear policy breaches, fuelling accusations that enforcement is lacking and inadequate.
The discovery has sparked renewed debate in Australia, where the eSafety Commissioner is pushing to include YouTube in the country’s upcoming under-16s social media ban. The platform is currently exempted due to its “educational” status, but incidents like these are putting that status under scrutiny.
Campaigners argue this situation proves platforms cannot be trusted to self-regulate, particularly when financial incentives are tied to controversial content. YouTube has stated it removes harmful material promptly and uses AI to restrict underage access, but clearly, the system isn’t foolproof. With growing concerns over the online radicalisation of boys, this is becoming a flashpoint in global online safety debates.
The Guardian -> Read the full article here
