Ever watched those First Amendment guys on YouTube that audit govt buildings and police?

[Buckshot Bear]

Ever watched those First Amendment guys on YouTube that audit govt buildings and police?

YouTube yesterday in a mass demonetization has stripped them all of making any money now from the platform.

 

I liked watching some of them and thought that they actually did a good job like Amagansett Press, yes some of them were arrogant and rude to some of the general public. The big name auditors were making $150K per month, now they have had their ad revenue turned off. 

"The wave of restrictions stems from enforcement around YouTube's guidelines regarding harassment, confrontational behavior, and advertiser-friendly content"

 

YouTube is a private company and can do what they like, but it would make more sense if they had just banned them and deleted all of their content off the platform.

Youtube is using the reason stated above.....but now instead of a split in the ad revenue between the content creator and Youtube, Youtube is happy for the channels to still be ON Youtube and now take 100% of the revenue. 

[John Barleycorn, SASS #76982]

Yes, I’m constantly amazed how many people think photography is a crime. I’m also sorely disappointed in how many police officers don’t understand the first amendment. Police academies have failed us well as command staff providing training. 

[Three Foot Johnson]

"Street auditors" = "recreational agitators/vexatious litigatants"

 

There are 2nd Amendment "auditors" too. Here in Montana, it's now *conditionally* legal for a citizen to walk into a bank with a loaded pistol on each hip, and an AR slung over each shoulder (HB102/2021)... but I've got no reason or desire to "audit" that.  

[John Kloehr]

6 minutes ago, Three Foot Johnson said:

"Street auditors" = "recreational agitators/vexatious litigatants"

 

There are 2nd Amendment "auditors" too. Here in Montana, it's now *conditionally* legal for a citizen to walk into a bank with a loaded pistol on each hip, and an AR slung over each shoulder (HB102/2021)... but I've got no reason or desire to "audit" that.  

I recall an event a while back, a 2A advocate decided to carry an AK into Walmart. With plate carriers and full tactical gear and a pretty good load out of mags and such. He got tackled and arrested. Reminds me of some protest and demonstration training I got a long time ago... "You always have the right to get arrested."

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Most "Auditors" I ever saw, weren't "auditing" anything.  Deliberate agitators, deliberately drawing confrontation, to draw increased viewership to increase monetization of their content.  I am most pleased to see the monetization of their activity removed.

[Wiley Wastelander]

I always thought they were just mentally ill attention seekers with nothing better to do than make the largest possible nuisance of themselves, didn't know there was a money making scheme behind it.  Good for YouTube!  But I still think there's a strong amount of untreated mental illness behind it.  

[Buckshot Bear]

3 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Most "Auditors" I ever saw, weren't "auditing" anything.  Deliberate agitators, deliberately drawing confrontation, to draw increased viewership to increase monetization of their content.  I am most pleased to see the monetization of their activity removed.

 

The underlying issue is that by demonetizing these creators without removing their content, YouTube is now absorbing 100% of the revenue. It is highly hypocritical for the platform to claim a moral high ground against these auditors while continuing to profit from their videos. If YouTube's stance were genuinely principled, they would have banned the channels and deleted the content outright. As it stands, the creators are still free to upload the exact same material, the only difference is that they are no longer compensated for it.

With the financial incentive removed, it remains to be seen how many of these auditors will continue their work. The community is clearly divided, while some act as blatant trolls, others have functioned as genuine citizen advocates, successfully pushing government agencies and law enforcement to implement widespread retraining.

Edited Friday at 02:54 AM by Buckshot Bear

[Rye Miles #13621]

I don’t understand why people don’t just walk away and not engage these “auditors “. I certainly would. 

[Buckshot Bear]

They posted this up yesterday over 350k views already, so people enjoy the content. 

These guys are now demonitized for public photography - 

 

 

Edited Friday at 11:54 AM by Buckshot Bear

[watab kid]

On 9/3/2026 at 7:02 PM, Wiley Wastelander said:

I always thought they were just mentally ill attention seekers with nothing better to do than make the largest possible nuisance of themselves, didn't know there was a money making scheme behind it.  Good for YouTube!  But I still think there's a strong amount of untreated mental illness behind it.  

you referring to then ice protestors in Minneapolis this past year - yes your right , if not then never mind - those A# were nothing but trash 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

9 hours ago, watab kid said:

you referring to then ice protestors in Minneapolis this past year - yes your right , if not then never mind - those A# were nothing but trash 

Bring out your own cameras and spend some time doing to them what they are doing to you.  Put thm on the air.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

They are almost as stupid as the people that confront them!

[El Chapo]

I actually have met one of the founders of Cop Block.  I didn't set out to meet him or anything, I went to a conference and he was there, and years later he started Cop Block and I met with him one time when he was in town either shortly before or shortly after he started it.  He has moved on and I haven't seen him in 15+ years.  As much trouble as they made, they certainly changed American policing.  The police are trained better in First Amendment issues now, and the accountability that has come from body worn cameras and activists who seek them under public records requests and post them online is remarkable.  Most all of those videos show the police just doing their job, and overwhelmingly show wrongdoers treating the cops badly.   Some, however, show the police abusing our citizens, and whatever you think of Cop Block and their behavior, there can be no doubt that policing is different after their existence than before.

Edited 22 hours ago by El Chapo