Nikhil Kamath asks whether YouTube controls public narratives during elections, and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan explains how the platform's recommendation engine operates.
“There's obviously, we endeavor to show a diversity of content, but it's generally oriented around what we know to be of your personal interest based on your viewing habits, et cetera. So you, as the user, really are in the driver's seat in terms of what type of content you're looking for, what you're looking to view”
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More from Neal Mohan
Opinion
YouTube is a video platform, not social media or linear television
“We're not social media. We're not a place where you go To connect or share with your friends. You're primarily there to watch video. And we're not sort of linear, traditional television either.”
Neal MohanMay 24, 2025▶ 14:05Nikhil Kamath x YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan | People by WTF Ep. 9 · Nikhil Kamath
Opinion
Podcasters and independent commentators played a major role in recent elections
“News commentators, podcasters, or whatever you want to call them, played a big role in that election. And I do think that candidates that got the word out as a result of engagement in what, you know, in generations past or years past would have been overlooked…”
Neal MohanMay 24, 2025▶ 6:44Nikhil Kamath x YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan | People by WTF Ep. 9 · Nikhil Kamath
AssertionNot checkable as stated
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan admits YouTube Originals was a failure
“We've tried in, in the past. We had something called YouTube Originals. It wasn't successful. So we don't do that.”
Neal MohanMay 24, 2025▶ 14:53Nikhil Kamath x YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan | People by WTF Ep. 9 · Nikhil Kamath
AssertionOpen · timeframe May 2025
Most U.S. YouTube content is now consumed on television screens
“Well in the U.S., the majority of content Is actually consumed on television screens. And, you know, that could happen in the rest of the world. It's our fastest growing screen.”
Neal MohanMay 24, 2025▶ 49:37Nikhil Kamath x YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan | People by WTF Ep. 9 · Nikhil Kamath
Disclosure
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says he votes for both political parties
“I've been, I've, Voted on both sides for a very long time, let's put it that way.”
Neal MohanMay 24, 2025▶ 3:27Nikhil Kamath x YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan | People by WTF Ep. 9 · Nikhil Kamath
PredictionNot checkable as stated
News consumption won't be binary between legacy media and creators
“I really don't think it's going to be one or the other... Five years from now you should expect to see more of that diversity, not less. I think if I were predicting anything, I don't think it would be a one or zero between those two types of options. I could …”
Neal MohanMay 24, 2025▶ 12:00Nikhil Kamath x YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan | People by WTF Ep. 9 · Nikhil Kamath
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