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ScrewTube: Google's video site recovering from "Porn Day" prank
22 May 2009 | 19.07 Europe/London
YouTube is having to take down thousands of sexually explicit videos after it was targeted by pranksters on what's being dubbed "Porn Day." While most of the clips have already been deleted, others could be up for days - hidden amongst videos by the likes of celibate Disney rockers the Jonas Brothers. And it turns out that the site's administrators have their work cut out for them at the best of times - twenty hours of video content are being uploaded onto YouTube every second.
Users of the 4Chan message board, which specialises in manga and anime, have claimed responsibility for the attack. "I did it because YouTube keeps deleting music," one member told the BBC. Many of the videos they posted appear innocent enough before fading into something a lot more explicit. "Sadly, as with any form of communication, there is a tiny minority of people who try to break the rules," a YouTube spokesman said.
The Google-owned site has famously outlawed nudity - and in the past even removed instructional videos showing how to self-test for breast or testicular cancer. It's not know exactly how many vids have had to be removed this time, but it's believed to be in the thousands. "We were aware of yesterday's issue and removed the videos as they were brought to our attention through our flagging system," the spokesman added. "Any account we discover that has been set up specifically to attack YouTube was also disabled."
Policing YouTube is starting to become the modern day equivalent of painting the Forth Bridge up in Scotland. Back when Google acquired in 2006, six hours of video were being posted each minute; now it's approaching a day's worth of content that's being uploaded each minute. That means YouTube needs to employ review teams around the world. And what does it get in return? Not much - apparently it's costing Google around a million pounds per day to run the site.
With YouTube starting to roll adverts amongst premium content here in the UK, that could be set to change. Channel 4 will be the first broadcaster to try out putting programming on the site, soon to be followed by BBC Worldwide, National Geographic, Discovery Networks and ITN. As for the the commercials, they'll last thirty seconds at most, with Activision, Match.com, Nissan and Renault the first advertisers.
"By providing premium partners with greater scope to monetise their content, we hope it will encourage them to place more of their content on YouTube," said Suveer Kothari, Head of YouTube in the UK. He'll be hoping the move means there won't be a repeat of what happened with Susan Boyle - both Google and ITV failed to come to any agreement and nobody was able to profit from her fifteen minutes of fame.
With news that American online video service Hulu could finally be opened up to UK users in September, YouTube will want to get a head start in the race to put traditional television content online. But at least there's one market it's already cornered - making everyday women singing superstars. It seems being in the bath's not a violation of YouTube's nudity conditions - as long as there's enough bubbles.
[ Guardian ]
Users of the 4Chan message board, which specialises in manga and anime, have claimed responsibility for the attack. "I did it because YouTube keeps deleting music," one member told the BBC. Many of the videos they posted appear innocent enough before fading into something a lot more explicit. "Sadly, as with any form of communication, there is a tiny minority of people who try to break the rules," a YouTube spokesman said.
The Google-owned site has famously outlawed nudity - and in the past even removed instructional videos showing how to self-test for breast or testicular cancer. It's not know exactly how many vids have had to be removed this time, but it's believed to be in the thousands. "We were aware of yesterday's issue and removed the videos as they were brought to our attention through our flagging system," the spokesman added. "Any account we discover that has been set up specifically to attack YouTube was also disabled."
Policing YouTube is starting to become the modern day equivalent of painting the Forth Bridge up in Scotland. Back when Google acquired in 2006, six hours of video were being posted each minute; now it's approaching a day's worth of content that's being uploaded each minute. That means YouTube needs to employ review teams around the world. And what does it get in return? Not much - apparently it's costing Google around a million pounds per day to run the site.
With YouTube starting to roll adverts amongst premium content here in the UK, that could be set to change. Channel 4 will be the first broadcaster to try out putting programming on the site, soon to be followed by BBC Worldwide, National Geographic, Discovery Networks and ITN. As for the the commercials, they'll last thirty seconds at most, with Activision, Match.com, Nissan and Renault the first advertisers.
"By providing premium partners with greater scope to monetise their content, we hope it will encourage them to place more of their content on YouTube," said Suveer Kothari, Head of YouTube in the UK. He'll be hoping the move means there won't be a repeat of what happened with Susan Boyle - both Google and ITV failed to come to any agreement and nobody was able to profit from her fifteen minutes of fame.
With news that American online video service Hulu could finally be opened up to UK users in September, YouTube will want to get a head start in the race to put traditional television content online. But at least there's one market it's already cornered - making everyday women singing superstars. It seems being in the bath's not a violation of YouTube's nudity conditions - as long as there's enough bubbles.
[ Guardian ]