Shari Franke, the daughter of Ruby Franke who was sentenced to 30 years in jail for child abuse, spoke out in a Utah Senate committee hearing about the abuse she and her siblings endured while growing up on the family's YouTube channel "8 Passengers." Shari described how they were constantly tracked and monitored for content production and forced to participate in uncomfortable events for their mother's channel. She called on lawmakers to address the issue of family vlogging before it becomes a bigger crisis. The abuse came to light when one of Franke's children ran away and was found emaciated and covered in duct tape. Both Franke and her business partner were sentenced to prison for the extreme physical and emotional abuse inflicted on the children for the sake of content.
YouTube has recently partnered with Flipkart and Myntra to bring a new shopping feature for creators in India. Viewers can now purchase products from brands featured in videos directly from the description and 'Products' section. This move is a part of the new YouTube Shopping affiliate programme, available for eligible YouTubers in the country. With over 65% of viewers trusting YouTube creators over traditional celebrities, this new feature aims to enhance the shopping experience and make it more convenient for users.