Likes from logged in views do count, the like to view ratio is higher due to that.

A German YouTuber tested it with an unlisted video, I can’t find it as of now but I do find a lot of deleted videos in my liked ones…

Basic theory as of the time of the video is that they want to go against bot views. Short views did not decline, only long form video, and of those the people with mostly desktop views are hit the most.

Edit: found it!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m8DZft_zLH4&t=1s

  • neclimdul@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 day ago

    I’m very skeptical of that argument.

    1. Millions of people didn’t throw out their desktops overnight.
    2. Lots of tech channels finding their core audience that’s actively supporting and often growing on platforms like patreon aren’t showing up in their metrics while fluff videos are getting picked up outside their community on mobile and "performing well“.

    So something definitely seems to be going on.

    To me, ads contributing to "views“ metrics seems the most logical since YT wants to incentivise ad watching but I have to agree it feels like every day someone has proven a new theory so it’s hard to say what exactly is going on.