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Odysee, a decentralised YouTube alternative focused on free speech, is officially ending the serving of ads on the platform, starting today. The post:

"Dear friends of Odysee, Starting today, we’re removing all ads. We don’t need ads to make money as a platform and we are confident in the development of our own new monetisation programs that will help creators earn a living and at the same time keep Odysee alive. Ultimately, sacrificing the overall user experience to make a few bucks isn’t worth it to us and nor is it even sustainable for a platform that wishes to make something truly open and creatively free.

As we take this decision, one thing is certain to us, media platforms (even ones that market themselves as ‘free-speech’) typically devolve into advertising companies and end up becoming beholden to their paymasters. It’s been that way for centuries and is never going to change.

As we see YouTube become more aggressive with their ad deployment and ‘Free Speech’ platforms try to build their own ad businesses it’s apparent to us that we’re building a model for Odysee that will keep it sustainable not only financially, but in its ability to provide an incorruptible user experience.

Our approach may be considered niche or unconventional, that’s fine by us. Odysee will be used by the world on terms that are agreeable to its users, and we know our users don’t like ads.

Best, Founder & Creator, Chief Executive Officer. Julian Chandra"

  • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    264·
    4 months ago

    Unfortunately, it’s probably the latter.

    Executive Julian Chandra wrote to Odysee site moderators that “a Nazi that makes videos about the superiority of the white race” was not grounds for removal from Odysee.

    They have actively defended far-right content, even videos that have openly called for genocide.

    For balance, though, they haven’t purged left wing content like some “free speech” people do (not that there’s much of that there anyway)

    • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      83·
      4 months ago

      Do they also suppress left/socialist content?

      If they did, then yeah it’s a shit service.

      I am by no means defending Nazi content. But if they are allowing any speech, I’d say this is closer to being “free speech” than Twitter currently is.

      • Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
        62·
        4 months ago

        Speech doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and all ideas aren’t equal. The libertarian idea of absolute free speech is a half-baked notion that holds that Nazi philosophies are equal to Humanist philosophies, and they each deserve the same megaphone and chance to thrive.

        Fuck. That. And fuck anyone who thinks that or platforms Nazis. Libertarian free speech is a myth that only benefits Nazis and other bad actors.

      • x00z@lemmy.worldEnglish
        21·
        4 months ago

        Yes, it goes both ways. And they aren’t using the platform to push any of their personal believes either.

      • Todd Bonzalez@lemm.eeEnglish
        203·
        4 months ago

        Because good people aren’t free speech absolutists, because we understand the danger of leaving violent or dishonest ideas unchallenged.

        Anyone who thinks Nazism is an idea worthy of consideration is just a Nazi. That argument was concluded in 1945, and the only people revisiting it are people who want a different conclusion.