YouTube on Friday reversed course and halted its limited monetization enforcement of Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro’s first episode of his new series, “Facts,” which takes on the powerful entities trying to censor so-called “misinformation” and dictate what media is “safe” for advertising.
The reversal came after Media Research Center (MRC) Free Speech America pressed YouTube about why monetization of Shapiro’s video was suppressed. MRC said YouTube effectively refused to acknowledge that the platform had limited the video in the first place. Notably, The Daily Wire was in communication with YouTube when the media company twice appealed YouTube’s suppression of the limited monetization and a manual review upheld the suppression, suggesting YouTube’s demonetization was intentional and not in error.
“In order for a video to monetize on YouTube it must comply with our advertiser-friendly guidelines, which are publicly accessible and apply to all creators,” a YouTube spokesperson told MRC. “Upon review, the video in question is currently monetizing.”
Shapiro announced on Thursday that YouTube suppressed monetization of the “Facts” video, which was first released on July 29.
“Ironically, YouTube has suppressed monetization for Episode 1 of my new YouTube series, Facts, because it ‘discusses New World Order, which is a non-monetizable “conspiracy theory”‘ under [YouTube’s] Dangerous Acts in ad-friendly guidelines,'” Shapiro posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Except nothing in the video is a conspiracy theory at all,” he wrote. “Watch for yourself and get the facts about who is controlling ad revenue on YouTube and all of the largest Big Tech platforms–including this one.”
In the episode, Shapiro explains how the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), which represents 90% of “global marketing communications,” and the World Economic Forum are behind a large-scale effort to influence how advertisers spend their money.
“There’s a group of people who control what you are allowed to see, the news you read, the videos you watch, the posts you engage with,” he said. “You haven’t heard of them. You don’t know their names, but they determine through methods, both direct and indirect, whether you are allowed to be exposed to particular messages. Their decisions can bankrupt companies, silence voices, and fundamentally shift cultural norms.”
Notably, Shapiro even remarks during the episode that the video could be censored based on the ambiguous and clearly biased framework entities like GARM and NewsGuard operate under.
Ironically, YouTube has suppressed monetization for Episode 1 of my new YouTube series, Facts, because it “discusses New World Order, which is a non-monetizable ‘conspiracy theory’ under [YouTube’s] Dangerous Acts in ad-friendly guidelines.”
Except nothing in the video is a… pic.twitter.com/rPj5d1JhA2
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 10, 2023
Shapiro’s announcement about the suppressed monetization and the subject matter of his “Facts” episode gained much attention online, including from Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, the world’s second richest man.
“I think the solution here is to price so-called ‘safe’ advertising higher than ‘unsafe,’” Musk responded to Shapiro on Friday. “My companies will happily buy the latter.”
I think the solution here is to price so-called “safe” advertising higher than “unsafe”.
My companies will happily buy the latter.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2023
Shapiro countered Musk’s take, stating, “‘Safe’ and ‘unsafe’ are dog whistles designed to enable censorship and demonetize ‘wrongthink.’”
“GARM has subjective guidelines for what it considers ‘safe’ for advertising, and its corporate partners seem to be interpreting these convoluted rules to fit a narrative,” he explained.
The host added a screenshot of GARM’s “Brand Safety Floor,” outlining the content the group deems “not appropriate for any advertising support.”
2/ GARM has subjective guidelines for what it considers “safe” for advertising, and its corporate partners seem to be interpreting these convoluted rules to fit a narrative. Here's their “Brand Safety Floor” – “content not appropriate for any advertising support.” pic.twitter.com/bfhEvwWSFE
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 11, 2023
“How are [L’Oréal Groupe] (Garnier) & Mastercard’s sponsorships of bondage & strippers at this NYC Pride Parade not ‘Adult & Explicit Sexual Content,’ and a ‘Sensitive Social Issue?’ Is this ‘safe?’” Shapiro posed.
The author noted that GARM member TikTok sponsored the 2022 LA Pride Parade, “where a half naked bondage group walked through & a man in drag performed for children on a giant eggplant.”
4/ Is this “safe?” GARM member @TikTok_US sponsored the 2022 LA Pride Parade, where a half naked bondage group walked through & a man in drag performed for children on a giant eggplant 📹 @DrewHLive pic.twitter.com/l2XaTq8OeT
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 11, 2023
“[Meta] thinks this video of [trans activist Dylan] Mulvaney appropriating & insulting womanhood, a ‘Debated Social Issue’ that obviously ‘demeans’ women, is ‘safe,’” Shapiro highlighted.
5/ @Meta thinks this video of Mulvaney appropriating & insulting womanhood, a “Debated Social Issue” that obviously “demeans” women, is “safe:” pic.twitter.com/1ZZ3UJXh1J
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 11, 2023
“But GARM member [Youtube] apparently thinks [Daily Wire host Michael Knowles] discussing loving ways to respond to gender confused young people is so ‘unsafe’ they deleted it from their platform,” he said, captioning the video of Knowles.
6/ But GARM member @YouTube apparently thinks @MichaelJKnowles discussing loving ways to respond to gender confused young people is so “unsafe” they deleted it from their platform. pic.twitter.com/6wVuzK00px
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 11, 2023
Shapiro further noted that Daily Wire hosts “can’t even present the case for why much of the trans content is harmful to children or demeaning to women — because that gets forcibly deleted by [YouTube] too. Are these ‘unsafe?’”
7/ @realDailyWire hosts can’t even present the case for why much of the trans content is harmful to children or demeaning to women — because that gets forcibly deleted by @YouTube too. Are these “unsafe?” pic.twitter.com/1prjNjAyzX
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 11, 2023
Shapiro then posted video of Disney “apparently paying a grown man to dress up as a cartoon female mouse whose primary audience is meant to be little children,” adding, “Is this ‘safe’?”
“These guidelines aren’t designed to keep brands ‘safe,’ but to advance a specific (and extreme) narrative,” he finished the thread. “The mass implementation of these “brand safety” guidelines demands serious scrutiny.”
7/ @realDailyWire hosts can’t even present the case for why much of the trans content is harmful to children or demeaning to women — because that gets forcibly deleted by @YouTube too. Are these “unsafe?” pic.twitter.com/1prjNjAyzX
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 11, 2023
Shapiro, and The Daily Wire more broadly, are no strangers to censorship — like most conservative media. In fact, memos obtained this month by the House Judiciary Committee reveal the Biden White House pressured another Big Tech platform, Facebook, to stifle The Daily Wire’s reach in an effort to promote the administration’s policy goals related to the COVID vaccines.
One note, dated April 14, 2021, reveals that the White House met with Facebook executives to pressure the tech giant to change its algorithm to downgrade posts from The Daily Wire and other “polarizing” entities. White House digital director Rob Flaherty asked Facebook to promote what he called “authoritative” media, such as The New York Times, over The Daily Wire.
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“If you were to change the algorithm so that people were more likely to see NYT (New York Times), WSJ (Wall Street Journal), any authoritative news source over Daily Wire, Tomi Lahren, polarizing people. You wouldn’t have a mechanism to check the material impact?” Flaherty said to Facebook executives.
Another note reveals Flaherty becoming frustrated that Facebook couldn’t provide some of the data the White House wanted, so he pushed the platform to “play ball.”
“I feel like we’re running around in circles. Some partners give us lots of information, some partners tell us to f*** right off,” Flaherty said. “This feels like we’re chasing our tails. If you don’t want to give information, just say that. I don’t want to feel like I’m going to a dog and pony show. My dream [is] for [Facebook] to play ball. It’s about, will we get out of this f***ing mess.”
Additionally, House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) revealed that a Facebook employee in April 2021 circulated an email for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg that said, “‘We are facing continued pressure from external stakeholders, including the [Biden] White House’ to remove posts.”
Shapiro last week responded to the release of the memos, which he said expose a clear First Amendment violation.
“We are absolutely pleased to look into the effect on our business of the Biden White House, engaging in an absolute First Amendment violation,” he said. “There’s no question this is a First Amendment violation. It is as simple as that. It is a First Amendment violation because the federal government cannot force or even pressure a private company into censoring information — that is a First Amendment violation, pretty clearly.”
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.
Related: Ben Shapiro Takes On Corporations Behind Censorship