Current Events > Interesting, content creators on YouTube who want to unionize got a backer.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/06/youtubers-want-to-unionize-and-theyve-got-the-support-of-ig-metall.html
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Didn't all those mega channels like Channel Awesome end terribly? Why would this be any different?
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AngelsNAirwav3s posted...

Didn't all those mega channels like Channel Awesome end terribly? Why would this be any different?

IG Metall is a bit more stout, being Europe's largest trade union, formed just a few years after WW2.
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Yeah it all seems like a dream until it becomes a nightmare for those folks like Channel Awesome.
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YouTube or internet media isnt a passing fad anymore. Its becoming a viable form of entertainment just like movies and tv. And its only going to keep growing. People can claim it takes no talent all they want...a lot of these people make a lot of money and make YouTube or other creator studios a lot more money. With it being so new though its going to be difficult to figure out how to do it the right way...there are gonna be some stumbles in the process so they better be prepared for that.

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This is when Google pulls an Uber, and points at bits of the EULA stating that uploaders and "partners" are not employees.

Smart move
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Questionmarktarius posted...

This is when Google pulls an Uber, and points at bits of the EULA stating that uploaders and "partners" are not employees.

They (IG Metall) addressed that in a video and mentioned that one of the things that will enter Germany's courts is the question of false self employment.
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ClunkerSlim posted...

I honestly can't see how this would work.

A YouTube version of SAG could work if structured the same way.
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booboy posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

This is when Google pulls an Uber, and points at bits of the EULA stating that uploaders and "partners" are not employees.

They (IG Metall) addressed that in a video and mentioned that one of the things that will enter Germany's courts is the question of false self employment.

Then, expect google to become absolute dicks about enforcing their multiple TOSes, soon.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1311392?hl=en

Ad violations

Examples of ad violations:

Clicking on your own ads for any reason
Encouraging others to click your ads
Using deceptive implementation methods to obtain clicks

Using third-party sites and tools

Examples of misusing third-party sites and tools:

Employing or commissioning third party sites and tools to artificially or manually generate subscribers or views
Embedding third party advertising, sponsorships, or promotions placed on or within your video content
Selling your YouTube channel and/or partner channel via third-party sites for monetary profit
Manipulating or incentivizing others to click on video features such as Like or Favorite.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6162278

[literally all of it]

s0nicfan posted...

ClunkerSlim posted...

I honestly can't see how this would work.

A YouTube version of SAG could work if structured the same way.

Do you have to be part of SAG to get paid to be an actor? Not sure how it is setup, but I can't imagine forcing everyone to join a union in order to upload a video to youtube, then if you get a viral hit you don't get any money unless the union gets their cut and you sign up.
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Best of luck to them, I can't really wrap my head around how this will operate from a practical standpoint but if they wanna try let them try
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Somewhere, in the basement that calls itself Dailymotion's office, someone is saying "now's my chance - for reals this time!"

Youtubers do need more protection. Declining ad revenue is one thing, but blatantly wrong demonetizations, false copyright strikes, and the like are things that YouTube does have to handle better if they want to be a legitimate medium. The Time Ghost crew getting legitimately excellent WWII content that is wholly above the board demonitzed for mentioning Nazis is nine kinds of stupid. Or game reviews or anime parodies getting struck despite being obviously fair use should result in the person filing the strike permanently losing the ability to contest.
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They could increase the dickheadedness levels big time, for sure. I'm not a content creator, so it's currently no skin off of my back.
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Of course, if youtubers ever do unionize, I fully expect Google to suddenly "realize" that Youtube has never made a profit ever, and quietly discontinue it alongside Plus, Base, Reader, and Stadia in a couple years.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Of course, if youtubers ever do unionize, I fully expect Google to suddenly "realize" that Youtube has never made a profit ever, and quietly discontinue it alongside Plus, Base, Reader, and Stadia in a couple years.

Also that. But the platform concept is officially out there now, someone else would pick up the torch if Google discontinued YouTube.
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If creators want to unionize Youtube should make the creators pay for maintenance costs after all youtube does host their videos for free. I think youtube offers creators a pretty good deal it gives them a free platform to host videos and even pays some people.

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I suspect that if this happens YouTube will just go back to not letting anyone be monetized except a select few handpicked partners.

Which I hope happens because the more monetized the common videos became, the further the quality would drop. >_>
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I think there's no way to make YouTube the primary medium and unionize at the same time. They are far too big and automated to be trusted with any kind of structured employment. The smart players already have patrons and twitch streams set up.
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Questionmarktarius posted...

Of course, if youtubers ever do unionize, I fully expect Google to suddenly "realize" that Youtube has never made a profit ever, and quietly discontinue it alongside Plus, Base, Reader, and Stadia in a couple years.

YouTube is operating at a lost from what I've heard, but Google continues to pump money into it so that they can maintain the monopoly for video hosting.
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