It's an approach that has worked well for YouTube and its CEO.ĭirect to the point of bluntness, equipped with a keen eye for data and numbers, and known for being a laser-focused and attentive listener, Wojcicki has pulled off an impressive feat during her nearly eight years in YouTube's top job. YouTube's Roomba seemed less about pioneering a bold approach to the thorny questions of media and expression in the internet age, and more about reacting to an irritant that required a robust response. It was hardly news that crowdsourced videos could be hazardous material - advertisers threatened a full-scale boycott of YouTube that year because of extreme videos. By 2017, YouTube had a global audience that watched 1 billion hours' worth of videos every day. The most surprising thing about Roomba may be that it took so long to be created. Members weigh whether a policy on particular content overreaches, whether it could backfire, and - importantly - whether it could draw negative headlines or unwanted regulatory attention. It's an elite policy council of YouTube employees led by CEO Susan Wojcicki that controls what is and isn't allowed on the Google-owned video platform.įrom videos touting controversial medical advice to clips that promote criminal organizations, the rules of what's acceptable on YouTube are debated and enshrined within Roomba. Like its namesake vacuum cleaner, YouTube's Roomba was designed to keep spaces clean and eliminate messes. In 2017, as YouTube reeled from an increasing number of scandals on the platform, it created Roomba.