A report in The Guardian has revealed how YouTube has removed millions of fake channels as part of a wider crackdown on AI-generated disinformation, following revelations about a network of accounts producing anti-Labour fake news at an industrial scale. The action comes after research showed how automated content was being used to criticise Labour and attack the prime minister, Keir Starmer, while generating huge audiences and advertising revenue.
A study by the nonprofit group Reset Tech found that more than 150 YouTube channels had been promoting anti-Labour narratives over the past year. These channels produced more than 56,000 videos, attracted 5.3 million subscribers and amassed almost 1.2 billion views in 2025 alone. Much of the content relied on AI-generated scripts, alarmist headlines and British-sounding narrators to give the impression of legitimacy and urgency.
Starmer was a central target. His name appeared in video titles or descriptions more than 15,600 times, often alongside false or inflammatory claims. Videos alleged arrests of Starmer and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, claimed he had been “sacked live” in parliament, or pushed fabricated stories about rows between the government and the royal family. Other content focused on immigration, crime and protests, framing them as evidence of Labour failure.
Reset Tech said the channels reflected a global trend in “synthetic right wing propaganda”, enabled by cheap and accessible AI tools that allow opportunistic creators to monetise political division. Similar networks were identified across Europe, with 420 problematic channels operating in multiple languages. While the UK-focused channels were believed to be driven largely by profit rather than foreign states, researchers warned they still posed a serious risk to public trust and democratic debate.
Some of the videos had been removed by YouTube’s automated systems, but all 150 channels were taken down after the platform was approached with the findings. YouTube said the channels breached its rules on spam and deceptive practices and stressed that enforcement applies regardless of political viewpoint or whether content is AI-generated. The company has removed more than 2.1 million channels overall for guideline violations and is now working with Reset Tech to strengthen detection.
Labour figures and campaigners have welcomed the removals but argue that faster action, stronger moderation and tighter controls on monetisation are needed to counter the growing threat of AI-driven fake news.
