In the video posted on Aug 16, Sebastian apologised for his refusal to retest a product that was highlighted in the Gamers Nexus video, saying: ‘I owe you guys better and I’m sorry.’ — Screengrab from YouTube/@LinusTechTips
YouTube channel Linus Tech Tips has announced that it will be pausing all video production after facing criticism over the way it handled reviews on products like computer hardware.
“Effective immediately, all YouTube video production is on pause and our team is going to be spending this entire next week focusing on long-term workflow changes to make our content better in a lasting way,” said Linus Media Group chief financial officer Yvonne Ho in a video posted on Aug 16.
She added: “This means for the first time in over 12 years, LTT (Linus Tech Tips) will be missing not just one daily upload but many...”
The controversy for Linus Tech Tips began when Gamers Nexus, a separate YouTube channel focusing on PC hardware, posted a video titled The Problem With Linus Tech Tips: Accuracy, Ethics, & Responsibility detailing “serious concerns regarding data accuracy” in videos produced by Linus Media Group including Linus Tech Tips and affiliated channels like TechQuickie.
Presenter Steve Burke in the Gamers Nexus video posted on Aug 15 showcased what he claimed as “evidence” detailing “significant and frequent data errors” that were present in “nearly every technical review video” made by Linus Tech Tips.
He explained towards the end that the video was made because “it’s unfair to consumers who get misled to bad purchases or not understanding the product”, among other concerns.
The video has garnered more than 3.7 million views.
Linus Tech Tips also faced criticism from a former employee who alleged in a series of postings on X (formerly Twitter) that the company cultivated a toxic work environment.
The employee alleged that she was “consistently belittled by certain members of upper management” and had reported having “been inappropriately grabbed multiple times in the office”.
Linus Tech Tips has responded to the issue saying it is taking the allegations seriously in a statement posted on X.
“We are conducting an internal assessment alongside bringing in a third-party investigator to look into the allegations. We are committed to publishing the findings and implementing any corrective actions that may arise due to this,” it added on X.
Linus Tech Tips has over 15 million subscribers on YouTube where it was described as a “passionate team of ‘professionally curious’ experts in consumer technology and video production who aim to educate and entertain”.
The channel was founded in 2008 by Linus Sebastian who is now the chief vision officer at Linus Media Group.
In the video posted on Aug 16, Sebastian apologised for his refusal to retest a product that was highlighted in the Gamers Nexus video, saying: “I owe you guys better and I’m sorry.”
