YouTube has faced criticism from the UK television and advertising industry after suspending its involvement in Barb, the country's standard audience measurement system. The move comes months after the platform agreed to have viewership data from 200 of its channels included alongside broadcasters like the BBC, ITV, and Sky.
Google, YouTube's parent company, sent cease-and-desist letters to Barb and research partner Kantar Media, blocking access to data needed to attribute viewing sessions to specific content creators. The legal action cites a breach of YouTube's terms of service, according to the Financial Times.
Lindsey Clay, chief executive of Thinkbox, a TV industry body owned by ITV, Sky, Channel 4, and UKTV, criticised the decision. "It does seem odd that YouTube has spent so much effort trying to convince advertisers that they are TV, but the moment there’s some TV-like scrutiny they go legal to avoid it," she said, adding, "If they want to be treated like TV they need to be transparent."
Simon Michaelides, director general of ISBA, which represents UK advertisers, expressed disappointment. "Barb plays a significant role, enhanced by its collaboration with YouTube. It is therefore disappointing that this service has been halted," he said, but hoped a resolution could be found.
YouTube makes nearly $2bn (£1.5bn) in UK advertising revenue, according to eMarketer. The suspension follows Barb data showing YouTube's UK viewership overtook the BBC's combined channels in December. However, Barb's three-minute minimum viewing metric favours YouTube's short-form content, whereas broadcasters typically use 15-minute thresholds.
A YouTube spokesperson stated that the action was due to a violation of terms of service by third parties accessing its APIs. "While the vast majority of our partners adhere to these guidelines, we will take action when terms are violated," they said. Kantar Media confirmed the measurement service is paused but declined further comment.
