Youtube has announced that it may begin charging fees, and not everyone is happy.
Reports state that Youtube will keep some revenue for itself and distribute some to video makers. “There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we’re looking at that,” said a YouTube spokesperson to the Mashable website.
Youtube already faces backlash from viewers irritated with ads on the service.
Fairfax High sophomore Jenny Goldsman said in an interview that Youtube ads are “annoying.” She continued, “Yesterday, I was trying to watch a [10 second] video called Sneezing Baby Panda… but I had to watch a 30 second ad. It’s simply ridiculous.”
Hamilton High School senior Mark Lee thinks Youtube will drive away users if it goes beyond annoying them to making them pay.
“The moment Youtube asks payment from the users,” Lee predicted, “another website will emerge that mimics Youtube without the payment required.”