In a major crackdown on deceptive content, YouTube has permanently removed two of its most popular channels for repeatedly violating its policies. The sweep includes the India-based channel Screen Culture, which was known for creating and publishing highly convincing, AI-generated fake trailers for upcoming movies, misleading millions of fans worldwide.
The Channels and Their Massive Reach
The terminated channels, Screen Culture and Georgia-based KH Studio, collectively commanded a massive audience. According to a report by Deadline, the two channels had over 2 million subscribers and their videos had racked up more than one billion total views. Their strategy involved flooding the platform with fabricated previews for highly anticipated projects from major studios like Marvel, HBO, and Netflix.
Screen Culture, founded by Nikhil P. Chaudhari, employed a team of about a dozen editors. They used generative artificial intelligence to splice official footage with completely fabricated images and scenes, creating trailers that appeared authentic to the average viewer. The channel relied on an "algorithm hacking" tactic, which involved being the first to post trailers for rumoured projects and constantly uploading revised versions.
AI Manipulation and Algorithm Gaming
The depth of their operation was significant. For instance, the report claims that Screen Culture produced 23 different versions of a trailer for Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Some of these AI-generated videos even managed to outrank official Disney content in YouTube's search results, demonstrating the effectiveness of their strategy. Other targets included HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series and Netflix's Wednesday.
This was not YouTube's first action against these channels. The platform had previously suspended their monetisation, cutting off their ad revenue. The channels were reinstated for advertising only after they agreed to clearly label their content as "fan trailers," "parody," or "concept trailers." However, when they reverted to their original practices without proper disclosure, YouTube moved to a permanent termination.
Community Reaction and Final Takedown
The final shutdown is now complete. Visitors trying to access the Screen Culture or KH Studio channel pages are met with the message: "This page isn't available. Sorry about that." A search for the channel names on YouTube no longer returns any videos or profiles.
The move has been celebrated by parts of the fan-made trailer community, who viewed these channels as unfairly gaming the system. Deadline noted that one prominent YouTuber in the space commented, "The monster was defeated," highlighting the competitive and ethical tensions within the content creation ecosystem on the platform.
This action underscores YouTube's ongoing struggle to police AI-generated content that blurs the line between fan creativity and deliberate misinformation. It serves as a stark warning to creators who use advanced AI tools to mimic official content without transparent labelling, especially those with large, influential audiences.
