Google issues cease-and-desist letter to BARB over YouTube viewing figures
Google has issued cease‑and‑desist notices to BARB and its research partner Kantar Media, prompting both organisations to halt their recently introduced measurement of YouTube viewing on television sets.
BARB announced last year that it would begin reporting viewing figures for YouTube on connected TVs, describing the initiative as a first of its kind. The audience measurement body had already been tracking YouTube content distributed by UK broadcasters for several years, but the expanded service introduced daily reporting for 200 selected YouTube channels. These channels were grouped by creator type and assessed for brand‑safety standards, covering children’s programming, sport, news, entertainment and prominent online creators.
The move was intended to provide greater transparency around how audiences consume digital video on traditional television screens, an area of growing interest for broadcasters, advertisers and regulators. However, Google raised objections to the way viewing data was being attributed to individual creators, leading to the legal intervention.
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Following the notices, BARB and Kantar have paused the service while discussions continue. The development highlights ongoing tensions between platform owners and independent measurement bodies as the industry seeks clearer standards for cross‑platform viewing.
