Super Chat: How YouTube and Creators Are Making Money Out of Hate

While hate-filled content has been given space on YouTube for a while now, the video sharing giant's other features also help in spreading hatred and profiting from it. One such tool is Super Chat.

Super Chat is a feature on YouTube that allows viewers to pay to have their messages highlighted during a live stream.

Four months ago, YouTube creator Ajeet Bharti streamed a video live on YouTube. In it, he claimed that Muslims are conspiring and engaging in ‘love jihad’ against Hindu women. During the live stream, a person named Kumar Saurabh asked through Super Chat, “Can we form a group like the Ranveer Sena to fight against love jihad?”

This Super Chat, which incites violence against Muslims, was purchased by Kumar Saurabh for Rs 40. Seventy percent of this amount (Rs 28) will go to the creator, Bharti, and 30% (Rs 12) will be taken by YouTube, as per the site’s rules. Kumar Saurabh’s was not the only Super Chat Bharti got – he earned approximately Rs 2,100 from Super Chats during this live stream. In another live video, which also violated hate speech and violent content guidelines, he got earned him up to Rs 14,000 from Super Chats.

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