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YouTube and Twitch are the two biggest video sharing platforms on the internet. However, things appear to be changing now. Other platforms, such as Bitchute and LBRY, have made it possible for content creators to explore different avenues.
As of now, only Bitchute has managed to emerge as a suitable alternative to the biggest platforms. There are various reasons behind it, including the lack of viewers and proper opportunities for content creators to monetize their videos. However, Google seems to have taken a stern approach towards all potential YouTube competitors of late.
Recently, we saw YouTuber TheQuartering talk about how Google has made it difficult for these alternate video-sharing platforms to survive.
Google accused of banning YouTube's competitor to uphold the authoritarian monopoly
LBRY is a decentralized, censorship-resistant YouTube alternative that has gained quite a few content creators of late. The Quartering talked about how around 80% of his viewers watch his content on mobile devices. For that to work, the platforms need their apps to feature on the Google Play Store.
It is no secret that viewers on mobile phones won't be inclined to watch videos on these platforms through a web browser. Therefore, not having their apps feature on the Google Play Store is indeed a problem for the developers, to say the least. TheQuartering explained that the same thing had happened to Gab, a social media alternative to Twitter, back in 2019.
The YouTuber went on to talk about how the entire system is owned and operated by Google. Right from the Play Store to YouTube to the software that content creators use for advertising (Adwords) is owned by the company.
He explained that even if platforms like LBRY will never be as big as YouTube, Google should not have this obvious monopoly. He also said that simply banning these apps from the Play Store takes away their chance of 'competing directly' with YouTube.
LBRY had gained over 100,000 downloads on the Play Store and had been proliferating. However, Google claimed that a comedy movie scene, that had no explicit nudity, violated their 'Sexual Content and Profanity' policy, which led to quite a stern response from LBRY on Twitter.
For TheQuartering, this has indeed shed light on how difficult it is for these alternative apps to survive in the current monopoly. You can watch the entire video below.
