DAVOS: “During downturns is when we get better at what we do,” Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, told the audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier today.
Seventy-five percent of Fortune 500 CEOs expect the next recession to begin by the end of 2023, according to a Fortune 500 survey. Wojcicki, who was Google’s 16th employee, has lived through two recessions during her time at the company.
And although there are “concerning macros trends” such as the war in Ukraine and inflation in the US, she said with regard to Google’s and YouTube’s business: “We have always tried to take a long-term point of view and we see tremendous growth across the board.”
The war in Ukraine marks a significant moment for YouTube, which is still operating in Russia, unlike other social media platforms. “As soon as the war broke out, we realized this was an incredibly important time for us to get it right with regard to our responsibility, and we made a number of really, really tough decisions,” Wojcicki said.
The reason for YouTube continuing to operate in Russia, said Wojcicki, is the platform’s ability — and responsibility — to “deliver independent news into Russia,” so that the average Russian citizen has the same free access to information as anybody else anywhere else in the world.
Although Russia has not suspended YouTube, it has its own version of the video-sharing platform, RUTUBE. Wojcicki is not concerned about RUTUBE specifically, but she said that “video is a very competitive emerging market right now and I expect us to continue to see more players,” especially out of Asia.
TikTok’s growth story, for instance, is worth mentioning. “We definitely are seeing really strong competition coming out of China, particularly with TikTok,” Wojcicki said.
TikTok’s rise to popularity was largely fueled by its short-form content format, which enticed both viewers and creators. Although YouTube now features longer videos, it was a short-form video platform in its early days when the only other form of video was traditional TV. In fact, the first-ever video uploaded to YouTube was only 18 seconds long.
Today, YouTube is investing more and more in short-form content with the launch of YouTube Shorts. “I expect to see a lot of competition there,” said Wojcicki of short-form video platforms, adding that such content “is probably the fastest part of the market right now.”
The conversation would not have been complete without talking about misinformation. YouTube has made worthy investments and improvements in battling misinformation through new policies and frameworks. According to a study by the company, the amount of violative content that is not caught by YouTube is down to 10-12 videos per 100,000 views.
“That number has come down significantly and our plan is to continue to work on it and make sure that we continue to reduce that,” Wojcicki said.
WEF 2022: YouTube CEO discusses Russia, recession and misinformation
https://arab.news/bp4jq
WEF 2022: YouTube CEO discusses Russia, recession and misinformation
- ‘During downturns is when we get better at what we do,’ Susan Wojcicki tells Davos audience
- Although Russia has not suspended YouTube, it has its own version of the video-sharing platform, RUTUBE
Media watchdog urges probe after gunmen attack home of Pakistani journalist
- Ihsan Khattak’s home came under fire by gunmen in February
- CPJ, 17 rights groups say legal and other changes causing ‘fear’
LONDON: Media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday urged Pakistani authorities to investigate a shooting attack on the home of journalist Ihsan Khattak.
On Feb. 12, at about 9:45 p.m., unidentified gunmen opened fire on the main gate of Khattak’s house in Kotka Jandar Khel village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district. The assailants fled and Khattak was not injured.
“Pakistani authorities must thoroughly investigate the attack on Ihsan Khattak’s home, identify the gunmen, and hold them to account,” said the CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director Beh Lih Yi.
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become increasingly dangerous for journalists and this type of brazen intimidation cannot stand. Journalists must be able to work safely so they can provide the public with information.”
Khattak, a Bannu-based correspondent for ARY News and former president of the Bannu Press Club, has faced threats before.
On Feb. 5, three armed men on a motorbike followed him from a reporting assignment, forcing him to speed away in his car, he told the CPJ.
In 2017, after receiving threats from an unknown caller, he relocated to Islamabad. He said the threats resumed after he returned to Bannu in 2023.
Bannu Deputy Inspector General of Police Sajjad Khan told the CPJ that an investigation had been opened into the shooting and that police were committed to ensuring journalists’ security.
The incident comes as the CPJ and 17 other press freedom and human rights groups this week urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take urgent steps to “uphold the country’s constitutional and international obligations” to protect media freedom.
They warned that recent legal and institutional changes, combined with “persistent failures” to hold perpetrators accountable, have deepened a climate of fear for journalists.
Pakistan, ranked 158th in the 2025 press freedom index, is considered one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, with growing self-censorship, digital controls and widespread impunity for attacks on media workers.
The appeal also follows a sharp escalation in regional tensions: on Friday, Pakistan said it had carried out strikes on Taliban government forces in several Afghan cities — its first direct attacks on its former allies —describing the situation as “open war.”
