No, YouTube Doesn’t Ask People To Maintain Eye Contact During Ads

We did not find any evidence to support the claim that YouTube has mandated eye contact during ads.

An image which asks users to maintain eye contact for the duration of the advertisements on YouTube is being widely shared on social media platforms.

What else does the image say?: It further adds that since the user looked away, they would need to rewatch the advertisement from the beginning.

When this report was being written, the post had garnered over three million views on the platform.

More archives of similar posts can be found here, here, and here.

What is the truth?: The image has been posted as satire and is not a real policy mandated by YouTube. It was originally uploaded by a user named 'Soren Iverson', who regularly posts such satirical designs.

How did we find that out?: We noticed that one of the claims carried the screenshot of the post shared by a user called 'soren_iverson'.

• We searched for the handle on Google and found an X account with the same name. Iverson uploaded the same image on 13 June with a caption that said, "YouTube rewatch the ad if you look away."

• Replying to the post, the user further mentioned that they create such "deranged interfaces" daily.

I make deranged interfaces daily.

If you like my work, you'll love my app.

It's Mario Kart, for walking. Try Stompers for free here: https://t.co/ZZfAEUf7Av pic.twitter.com/75Gm4FqgKv

— Soren Iverson (@soren_iverson) June 13, 2024

• Team WebQoof scanned through Iverson's X handle and found that they post such content regularly.

• In September 2023, the user said that they make "unhinged satirical interface concepts" daily.

I make unhinged satirical interface concepts like this daily.

Destroy that follow button for more ways to reduce phone usage at concerts.

— Soren Iverson (@soren_iverson) September 6, 2023

• We have contacted Iverson for their input, and this report will be updated as and when we receive a response.

No information available: A keyword search on Google did not return any news reports or official announcements supporting the claim that YouTube monitors people's eyes during ads.

We have also reached out to Google and the story will be updated with their response.

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