Examining the Impact of YouTube’s Video Recommendation Algorithm on Pro- or Anti-Tobacco Messaging

As the majority of views on YouTube are a result of the platform's algorithm, public health campaigners and practitioners need to be aware of what videos their content appears recommended on (only 10% of recommendations on pro-tobacco content led to anti-tobacco content), as well as what videos users may be recommended when watching their content (as shown by the majority of anti- to pro-tobacco journeys leading to SDMEs). Analyzing the types of videos recommended to users by the YouTube algorithm allows researchers, practitioners and regulators to better understand how populations become exposed to pro- and anti-tobacco messaging.