Suggested videos are displayed next to a YouTube video titled “Las Vegas Shooting: 6 QUESTIONS” (YouTube/Emily Shugerman)
YouTube uses secret algorithms to determine which videos appear in its “Top News” and “Up Next” section. The company has said publicly that it factors in a video’s popularity and a user’s history when choosing which videos to display but has declined to reveal more.
The company says it regularly deletes videos flagged for violating its community guidelines. These guidelines cover everything from nudity to child endangerment but do not discuss conspiracy theories or unverifiable claims. YouTube declined to provide details to The Independent on its standards regarding conspiracy theories.
The company told the Guardian, however, that a video called “Las Vegas ‘Shooting’ … Did It Actually Happen?” did not violate its standards. The video – which questions whether the shooting was “faked” by paid actors – had amassed almost 350,000 views by Friday morning.
The company did pull the aforementioned video calling the shooting a “false flag attack,” however. YouTube also gave the creator’s account a penalty strike.Accounts that receive more than three strikes are terminated.
The video’s creator, Jake Morphonios, claimed the clip garnered 2.5m views before it was deleted. He pushed back against the video’s deletion, saying he was simply offering an opinion.
“I’m not presenting myself as mainstream media,” Mr. Morphonios told the Journal. “I’m just a guy with a computer offering an opinion. And to be punished for that is, well, it’s draconian.”