CLEVER: German viewers of immigrant-hating YouTube videos must first watch ads with real refugee stories. [archive] “Immigrant-hating.” “Real refugee stories.” Nope, no slant here.

To target immigrant-hating videos, the room-sharing service uses keywords on YouTube’s ad platform that are associated with far-right content and anti-immigration groups, such as Pegida, Germany’s anti-Islamist group, and its leader Lutz Bachmann. Other keywords include “refugees out” (“asylanten raus”), “refugees terrorists,” and “the truth about refugees.”

A German can’t watch a anti-immigrant YouTube video associated with a keyword without first seeing a 30-second preroll ad from Refugees Welcome. The ads have no skip function . . .

On Google, the organization has bought search terms so users are delivered a link to refugee stories if they search, for instance, “refugees out.”

“The greatest weapon of the far right is the internet,” said Refugees Welcome in a video about the campaign.

Another article notes, [archive]

“Of course, it’s painful that the uploaders are getting money from our campaign, but at the moment they only earn a few cents,” said Jonas Kakoschke.

“Ultimately, we hope that some of these groups will disable advertising and therefore lose out on YouTube ads altogether.”

The international organization behind all of this paid propaganda is involved in connecting people who have an extra room with incoming “refugees,” and it helps them find ways to fund the accommodation. No word on whether it helps pay funeral expenses. [archive]