How YouTube Built a Radicalization Machine for the Far-Right

ONE CLICK AT A TIME

Former extremists say they were sucked in by propaganda as teenagers, thanks to an algorithm’s dark side.

Published Dec. 17 2018 5:03AM EST

181216-weil-youtube-tease_qdzjrq — Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast

For David Sherratt, like so many teenagers, far-right radicalization began with video game tutorials on YouTube. He was 15 years old and loosely liberal, mostly interested in “Call of Duty” clips.

Kelly Weill

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How YouTube Built a Radicalization Machine for the Far-Right

Former extremists say they were sucked in by propaganda as teenagers, thanks to an algorithm’s dark side.

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Kelly Weill