6 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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YouTube

YouTube launched in 2005 as a video sharing platform, and was acquired by Google (now Alphabet) in 2006. It has built an entire community of creators that run channels dedicated to topics like gaming, tech reviews, and beauty. It also houses news videos and entertainment such as music videos, movie trailers, and clips from late-night TV shows.

YouTube’s rapid growth has not been without problems. YouTubers typically make money from ads that run in front of their videos, but if they break the platform’s rules, their channels and videos can be demonetized. Executives and moderators have worked to combat harassment, misinformation, terrorist propaganda, hate content, and other abuse.

The Verge runs two YouTube channels, The Verge and Verge Science.

YouTube’s new Discord-like Communities are rolling out to more creatorsYouTube’s new Discord-like Communities are rolling out to more creators
Dr Disrespect’s Midnight Society studio shuts down before releasing its first gameDr Disrespect’s Midnight Society studio shuts down before releasing its first game
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Dr Disrespect remonetized by YouTube as Midnight Studios closes.

Six months ago, YouTube demonetized game streamer Guy Beahm, aka Dr Disrespect, after he confirmed reports about why his Twitch channel was banned in 2020. In a now-deleted post, he wrote:

Were there twitch whisper messages with an individual minor back in 2017? The answer is yes.

Now, on the same day the game studio he co-founded before it cut ties with him last summer announced it’s shutting down, Kotaku reports that Beahm informed his viewers YouTube re-enabled monetization. The 10,000 ‘Founders Access’ NFT passes Beahm and Midnight Studios sold for their game Deadrop weren’t mentioned.

YouTube Premium’s 4x speed and other experimental features now available to subscribersYouTube Premium’s 4x speed and other experimental features now available to subscribers
YouTube says it’s not serving hourslong unskippable ads to users with ad blockersYouTube says it’s not serving hourslong unskippable ads to users with ad blockers
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
How male influencers rallied the right.

An analysis from Bloomberg shows how streamers and podcasters including Joe Rogan, Logan Paul, Lex Fridman, and Theo Von espoused similar conservative messaging leading up to the election, potentially priming their predominantly male viewers to vote for Trump.

Across over 600 videos with more than 1 million views each, Bloomberg found:

In two-thirds of the videos, broadcasters discussed voting, immigration, people identifying as transgender, institutional medicine, war or the economy... Voting was the most frequently mentioned political topic among the highly viewed videos, with mentions appearing in 37% of the episodes that Bloomberg reviewed.

How Popular YouTubers Pushed Young Male Voters Toward Trump

[Bloomberg]

YouTube Premium gets more experimental features that can now be tested all at onceYouTube Premium gets more experimental features that can now be tested all at once
X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube sign EU pledge to tackle hate speechX, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube sign EU pledge to tackle hate speech
Google rejects EU fact-checking commitments for Search and YouTubeGoogle rejects EU fact-checking commitments for Search and YouTube
YouTube star Ms. Rachel is coming to NetflixYouTube star Ms. Rachel is coming to Netflix
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Here’s how Gemini Live might chat with you about YouTube videos.

Android Authority got the AI chatbot talking using an early version of the Google app. It also found ways to interact with Gemini Live about uploaded files and PDFs.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
YouTubers are making money off their unused footage by selling it to AI companies.

They’re “oftentimes netting thousands of dollars per deal,” Bloomberg reports. OpenAI and Google are apparently among the companies paying for the video footage.

OpenAI, Google Are Paying Content Creators for Unused Video to Train Algorithms

[Bloomberg]

YouTube is testing a floating ‘Play something’ buttonYouTube is testing a floating ‘Play something’ button
A fake Nintendo lawyer is scaring YouTubers, and it’s not clear YouTube can stop himA fake Nintendo lawyer is scaring YouTubers, and it’s not clear YouTube can stop him
What podcasts looked like in 2024 — literally

These days, podcasts are going video, and there are a number of visual trends we’ve noticed — some good, some not so much. We’ll show you.

Andru Marino
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
YouTube Playables now support multitasking.

I’m not one of the people who watches YouTube or TikTok videos while some endless runner game scrolls by, but if you are, this YouTube Playables feature is for you.

On desktop and Android (iOS is still audio-only for now), you can now have the miniplayer visible while you play one of the games from YouTube’s library, as shown here with The Vergecast’s holiday episode.

Animated GIF with screncapture of a phone playing an endless runner game with The Vergecast video playing in a small picture-in-picture window.
Why not both?
Screenshot: Tall Runner / The Vergecast
YouTube is cracking down on clickbaitYouTube is cracking down on clickbait
YouTube says that soon, its tech will be able to find AI copies of celebs and creatorsYouTube says that soon, its tech will be able to find AI copies of celebs and creators
YouTube is letting creators opt in to allowing third-party AI trainingYouTube is letting creators opt in to allowing third-party AI training
YouTube is testing creator voice repliesYouTube is testing creator voice replies
YouTube TV is letting some subscribers hold off that price hikeYouTube TV is letting some subscribers hold off that price hike
Ash Parrish
Ash Parrish
It’s almost time for Geoff.

The Game Awards 2024 YouTube stream is live and poppin’ with over 300,000 viewers less than a half hour before showtime. Watch it below, or, if you prefer a more up-to-date stream, watch it on Twitch.

The extremely online life of the American teenagerThe extremely online life of the American teenager
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
YouTube’s new AI tool yaps nonsense.

We can now see what the “editable AI-enhanced reply suggestions” feature that was announced in September looks like thanks to YouTuber Clint Basinger (seen via 404 Media), and it’s pretty half-baked.

The AI seems to understand that Basinger’s channel focuses on gaming and gadget reviews, but that just means it throws completely out-of-context tech jargon into most reply suggestions.

YouTube quietly made some of its web embeds worse, including oursYouTube quietly made some of its web embeds worse, including ours
YouTube TV’s monthly cost soars to $82.99YouTube TV’s monthly cost soars to $82.99
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Samsung’s Music Sync is getting a deeper integration with YouTube Music.

Music Sync in the SmartThings app can now start your YouTube Music playlist automatically when you hit the button to get your Philips Hue smart lights in sync with the tunes.

Press the Party button to get your Party playlist and party lighting, or opt for Relax, Workout, etc.

However, you’ll need YouTube Premium, a Galaxy device, and Hue smart lights for all this to work.

Music Sync is a feature in the SmartThings app that syncs your Hue smart lights to any music app on a Galaxy device.
Music Sync is a feature in the SmartThings app that syncs your Hue smart lights to any music app on a Galaxy device.
Image: Samsung
YouTube is a hit on TVs — and is starting to act like itYouTube is a hit on TVs — and is starting to act like it
YouTube’s AI-powered dubbing is now available to many more creatorsYouTube’s AI-powered dubbing is now available to many more creators
YouTube Kids is getting a redesign to make it look more like YouTubeYouTube Kids is getting a redesign to make it look more like YouTube
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Playables with pals.

YouTube is now testing multiplayer on two of its casual Playables games, Ludo Club (which is basically Sorry!) and Magic Tiles 3 (a music game).

More new Playables features are on the horizon: “We’re just getting started testing out new features for YouTube Playables with more to come in the future,” YouTube says.

[December 9, 2024] Testing new multiplayer games on YouTube Playables

[YouTube Help]

NZXT’s Flex PC rentals are still ‘misleading’ and ‘predatory,’ claims Gamers NexusNZXT’s Flex PC rentals are still ‘misleading’ and ‘predatory,’ claims Gamers Nexus
You can take a selfie with the Earth using this YouTuber’s satelliteYou can take a selfie with the Earth using this YouTuber’s satellite
YouTube shares a final blog post from Susan Wojcicki on fighting lung cancerYouTube shares a final blog post from Susan Wojcicki on fighting lung cancer
This website unearths YouTube’s lost and forgotten iPhone clipsThis website unearths YouTube’s lost and forgotten iPhone clips
Spotify’s CEO on why this new video push is differentSpotify’s CEO on why this new video push is different
YouTube is getting in on the digital gifting gameYouTube is getting in on the digital gifting game
Spotify will start paying creators for popular videosSpotify will start paying creators for popular videos
The YouTube app on Quest will let you co-watch videos with friends in VRThe YouTube app on Quest will let you co-watch videos with friends in VR
The tiny tweak that could change YouTube foreverThe tiny tweak that could change YouTube forever

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