YouTube

YouTube is an American online video sharing platform owned by Google. It was founded on February 14, 2005, by Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen, who were all former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in San Bruno, California, YouTube grew to become the second-most-visited website in the world. By January 2024, it had more than 2.7 billion monthly active users, and people watched over one billion hours of video every day.

In November 2006, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion USD. Since then, YouTube has added new ways to watch and create videos, including mobile apps, exclusive programming, and YouTube Premium, a subscription service without ads. People can find many types of videos on YouTube, such as music videos, news, documentaries, live streams, and vlogs. Most videos are made by everyday people, though big companies also use the site to share their content.

YouTube changed how many people share and watch videos, creating new stars and shaping trends online. However, it also faced challenges, including concerns about misinformation, copyrighted material, and keeping the safety of children and their well-being a priority.

History

YouTube is an online video sharing platform that was started by three friends: Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen. They created YouTube in 2005 because they wanted a place where anyone could share videos easily. The first video they ever uploaded was a short clip of Jawed at the San Diego Zoo!

Over the years, YouTube has grown into the second most visited website in the world. It was bought by Google in 2006 and has since added many new features, like kids' content, gaming videos, and short clips called "Shorts". Even during big events like the COVID-19 pandemic, YouTube helped people stay connected by letting them watch and share videos online.

Senior leadership

YouTube has had a CEO since it started in 2005. The first CEO was Chad Hurley, who led until 2010. After YouTube became part of Google, Salar Kamangar took over until 2014. Then Susan Wojcicki became CEO and worked until 2023. On February 16, 2023, Neal Mohan became the new CEO.

Features

Main article: List of YouTube features

YouTube provides many tools for users to enjoy videos. Everyone can upload videos, make playlists, and listen to YouTube Music. Some features, like longer videos or live streaming, need a bit more verification, such as confirming a phone number or building up channel history.

With more verification, users can access extra options, like adding clickable links, creating podcasts, and pinning important comments to help viewers find key parts of a video.

Videos

Main article: List of YouTube videos

YouTube is a place where people spend a lot of time watching videos. In 2012, people spent about 15 minutes each day on YouTube, which is more than the time they spend watching TV. By 2017, many people were watching YouTube videos on their phones for over an hour a day.

YouTube has to deal with making sure people follow the rules. In 2012, some music videos lost a lot of views because they didn’t follow the rules. In 2015, YouTube changed how they show how many times a video was watched, to stop people from trying to cheat. In 2021, YouTube decided not to show how many people didn’t like a video, to help protect creators from mean comments.

YouTube has to make sure it doesn’t show videos that break copyright laws. Sometimes, people upload videos with music or other content that someone else owns. YouTube lets the owners of that content decide what to do with the video. They can block it, watch how many people see it, or put ads on it to earn money. YouTube works hard to help creators while also respecting the rules about copyright.

Main article: Content ID

In 2007, YouTube started using a tool to find videos that might be breaking copyright rules. This tool checks new videos against a list of protected content. If it finds a match, the owner of the content can decide what to do with the video. People can also argue if they believe their video should be allowed, and YouTube will review their case.

See also: List of Google April Fools' Day jokes

Every year on April Fools’ Day from 2008 to 2016, YouTube played fun tricks on its users. In 2008, clicking on videos led to a popular music video called “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Other years had funny changes like turning the screen upside down or showing old-style black-and-white films. These tricks were just for fun and to make people laugh.

Services

YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium is a special version of YouTube that you can pay for. It lets you watch videos without ads, and you can play videos even when you aren’t connected to the internet. It also lets you watch special shows only available on YouTube Premium.

YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids is a special app made just for kids. It has videos picked out that are good for kids to watch. Parents can set up the app so it’s just right for their child’s age. It works on many different devices, like tablets, smart TVs, and phones.

YouTube Music

YouTube Music is a place where you can listen to songs and albums just like on other music services. It launched in 2018 and lets people who love music find and enjoy their favorite tracks on YouTube.

YouTube Movies & TV

YouTube Movies & TV lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows. Some movies are free to watch with ads in between. In 2024, Google moved all this to the YouTube app, so you can watch, rent, or buy movies and TV shows all in one place.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is a service that costs a monthly fee. It lets you watch live TV channels, like the ones you see on regular TV, right on your computer or tablet. It includes channels from companies like Disney, CBS, and NBC. You can also add extra channels for more shows.

YouTube Go

YouTube Go was a special app for people with mobile phones in places where it’s harder to get lots of data. It let people download videos to watch later and share them with friends. YouTube Go stopped working in August 2022.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts is a way to make short videos, up to 3 minutes long, just like some other apps. You can add music and special effects. It started in India and then came to the United States and other countries.

YouTube Stories

In 2018, YouTube tested a feature like stories on other apps, but only for people who had many subscribers. This feature stopped working on June 26, 2023.

YouTube VR

YouTube VR is a special way to watch YouTube videos using a virtual reality headset. It started in 2016 and works with many VR devices. It’s especially good for videos that make you feel like you’re in a different place.

Playables

In May 2024, YouTube added a bunch of free games you can play while watching videos.

Automatic language dubbing

In December 2024, YouTube added a way to change the language of videos automatically using computer smarts. Some people said the voices sounded strange or didn’t translate well.

Criticism and controversies

Privacy concerns

Censorship and bans

Main article: Censorship of YouTube

State censorship of YouTube content

YouTube has sometimes been blocked or limited in different countries for various reasons. Some countries restrict YouTube to prevent people from seeing content that might cause unrest or to protect certain beliefs. For example, China and North Korea have blocked YouTube to control what people can see online.

In other cases, YouTube itself has removed content or accounts to follow laws or policies. This can include videos that might upset certain groups or governments. For instance, during times of conflict, YouTube has taken down videos from certain organizations to comply with international rules.

Sometimes, countries block YouTube for short periods, like during elections or important events, to manage what people see online. These decisions can affect many users and show how different places have different rules about online content.

Social impact

Main article: Social impact of YouTube

People and big companies have used YouTube to reach more viewers. Small creators have built large followings without much cost, while traditional radio and TV have had a harder time competing. Even famous stars joined YouTube because they saw that many people were watching videos online.

YouTube has also changed how we learn and share news. For example, the Khan Academy started with videos on YouTube and grew into a huge online school. YouTube has helped people get news from around the world, and it has even changed politics. During the Arab Spring, people used YouTube to share videos and tell the world what was happening.

However, YouTube has also faced challenges. Some videos have caused misunderstandings or upset people. The site has worked to make sure that viewers see a mix of different types of content, but it’s still figuring out the best way to balance everything. YouTube has been a place where people from all walks of life share their stories, help others, and sometimes even change the world.

Finances

YouTube is a big website where people watch videos. It makes money mainly from ads shown before or during videos. In 2019, YouTube made about $15 billion from ads. By 2022, this grew to $29 billion.

YouTube also works with companies like NBC, BBC, MGM, and CBS to show their shows and movies. In 2017, some big companies stopped their ads for a short time because they didn’t want their ads near certain videos. YouTube changed its rules to help make sure ads went only where they should.

People who make videos can join the YouTube Partner Program to earn money from ads. YouTube keeps part of the money, and the rest goes to the video maker. There are over two million people in this program.