FILE PHOTO: A picture illustration shows a YouTube logo reflected in a person's eye June 18, 2014. The picture was flipped horizontally. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo
SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON: Fourteen Russia-backed YouTube channels spreading disinformation have been generating billions of views and millions of dollars in advertising revenue, according to researchers, and had not been labeled as state-sponsored, contrary to the world's most popular streaming service's policy.
The channels, including news outlets NTV and Russia-24, carried false reports ranging from a US politician covering up a human organ harvesting ring to the economic collapse of Scandinavian countries. Despite such content, viewers have flocked to the channels and US and European companies have bought ads that run alongside them.
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