The Duterte Arrest: A Disinformation Frenzy on YouTube and the Monetization of Falsehoods
The arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant sent shockwaves through the nation, particularly online. While critics of his controversial war on drugs lauded the move, his loyal supporters vehemently protested. This division quickly translated into a deluge of misinformation spreading across social media platforms, notably YouTube. False claims about the legality of the arrest, attacks against the incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and the relentless targeting of media organizations became rampant. This surge in Duterte-related content underscores the power and reach of YouTube in the Philippines, a platform boasting nearly 60 million users and an advertising reach encompassing roughly half the country’s population. The incident also raises critical questions about the platform’s role in the spread of misinformation and the potential financial incentives driving this phenomenon.
The first week following the news of Duterte’s arrest saw a significant spike in content related to the former president on YouTube. Over 1,600 channels uploaded more than 3,000 videos mentioning Duterte, capitalizing on the platform’s vast user base and potentially lucrative monetization policies. With YouTube’s advertising revenue potential, content creators have a financial incentive to produce videos that garner views, even if those videos disseminate false or harmful information. An investigation by The Nerve, a data forensics company, revealed that channels promoting disinformation about the Duterte-ICC issue could potentially earn up to P20,000 (approximately US$350) per day through YouTube’s monetization program.
YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP) allows eligible creators to monetize their content through advertising revenue, channel memberships, and YouTube Premium revenue. Eligibility requires a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past year or 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days. Once enrolled in YPP, creators can track their earnings through metrics like Revenue Per Mille (RPM), which represents earnings per 1,000 views. While RPM varies depending on several factors, The Nerve utilized Social Blade’s YouTube Money Calculator, which estimates RPM within a range of $0.25 (P14.29) to $4.00 (P228.68), to approximate the potential earnings of channels spreading disinformation about the Duterte arrest.
Focusing on channels meeting YPP eligibility requirements and boasting at least 1,000 followers and 1,000 average daily views, The Nerve identified 32 channels actively disseminating falsehoods and engaging in hateful rhetoric against the ICC, the Marcoses, and the media. The most prevalent narrative amongst these channels questioned the legality of Duterte’s arrest, depicting it as unlawful or even a "kidnapping," aiming to sow distrust in the ICC. Other narratives included attacks on the Marcos family, with some channels falsely claiming the detention of First Lady Liza Marcos in the US. Still others amplified previously debunked claims, such as fabricated support from former US President Donald Trump, and misrepresented videos to falsely depict global pro-Duterte rallies.
The spread of such disinformation raises concerns about YouTube’s responsibility in regulating content on its platform. While YouTube has Community Guidelines that videos must adhere to for monetization, critics argue that the platform has not done enough to curb the spread of false and harmful content. The potential financial gains derived from monetization create a perverse incentive for creators to produce engaging, albeit misleading, content. This dynamic has been criticized in other contexts, such as the spread of climate change denial, with advocacy groups calling on Big Tech companies to address the profitability of disinformation.
This case study of the Duterte arrest and the ensuing disinformation wave highlights the complex interplay between online platforms, misinformation, and financial incentives. The ability of bad actors to monetize false content poses a significant challenge to the integrity of information ecosystems. While YouTube and other platforms have implemented policies to combat disinformation, the case of the Duterte arrest reveals the ongoing need for more robust and effective measures. The potential for financial gain continues to fuel the creation and spread of harmful narratives, underscoring the urgent need for greater accountability and stricter enforcement of platform guidelines to safeguard against the erosion of truth and trust in online spaces.