#googleyoutube

When Youtube[1] (YouTube, 2017) was developed by Chad Hurley and Steve Chen in 2005, for the sole purpose of creating a website on which videos could be shared with ease, its popularity increased, and the website gradually became known for its use as a social media platform. For around a year the website helped to steadily create an internet culture in which sharing videos, especially funny ones, to be shared on other social media platforms such as Facebook[2] (Facebook, 2017) and Twitter[3] (Twitter, 2017).

However, over the course of that year Google took a large amount of interest in the growing website, to the point where in 2006, Google offered Hurley and Chen $1.65 billion in exchange for acquiring YouTube as part of a partnership deal. YouTube accepted, and has kept its independence as part of the deal, but with Google’s aid they have been able to reach out to their community and use their combined prowess in organisation and content distribution to create a better system for its users.

In retrospect, one can see how Google taking that step to reach out to YouTube was a tactically sound move, in that they put forward a lot of money to acquire the social media platform. By gaining the ownership rights to YouTube, the realised that they would be taking a bet that they believed would bring their revenue to an even higher standard, creating the perfect opportunity to profit from the $1.65 billion that they had bought it for by using ads on YouTube videos, sponsorships, etc.

This merge occurred 11 years ago, at which time Hurley commented:

‘By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners.’[4] (BBC News, 2006) Now, 11 years later, YouTube is considered to be ‘the 3rd most visited website in the world’[5] (Donchev, D. 2017). It helped to shape internet culture as the millennials today know it to be, having grown up with it and normalizing how they consume both YouTube and Google as media. Through the two media giants having combined their efforts to create a better online presence and ability to benefit the people, the daily use of the media has become ingrained in Western culture. In everything from education to home life, Google and YouTube’s merge have caused a profound impact on the current generation’s way of life, especially the younger generation, who in particular have become dependent on their consummation due to the almost excessive exposure of the media.

However, it could be speculated that some of the changes to YouTube since Google and YouTube’s merge have been user un-friendly, especially to users who use YouTube for ad revenue. In 2013, YouTube introduced a new automated copyright system, called Content ID[6] (How Content ID works - YouTube Help. 2017), which matches videos to someone else’s copyrighted material. Notices were issued to YouTubers, to show that a claim had been made against the video by someone, but problems arose with this in that specific elements such as the audio had a song in the background of the video. It’s inhumane process of using the database system received a massive backlash, by people like Angry Joe, who in ranted in one of his videos about the system, calling it a ‘blanket system’[7] (Youtube Copyright Disaster! Angry Rant, 2013).

This is only one problem that has come from the merge, and the pros and cons that now derive themselves from this after 11 years, now has enough evidence to start debating further as to whether or not Google’s ownership of YouTube has really benefited the public as users, or is actually only benefitting Google and YouTube.

References:

[1] About YouTube - YouTube (2017). [online] Youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/yt/about/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2017].

[2] Facebook (2017). [online] Facebook. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2017]

[3] Twitter (2017). [online] Twitter.com. Available at: https://twitter.com/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2017].

[4] BBC News | Business | Google buys YouTube for $1.65bn. (2006). [online] News.bbc.co.uk. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6034577.stm [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017].

[5] Donchev, D. (2017).Youtube Statistics - 2016. [online] Digital Marketing Education. Available at: https://fortunelords.com/youtube-statistics/ [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017]. 

[6] How Content ID works - YouTube Help. (2017). [online] Support.google.com. Available at: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797370 [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017].