AI-generated anti-Labour videos have gained over a billion views on YouTube this year, fueling misinformation and political division in the UK.
Over 150 channels that propagate anti-Labour narratives and downright false and aggressive claims against Keir Starmer have been identified in the past year.
According to a report obtained by the Guardian, the channels had amassed 5.3 million followers, produced over 56,000 videos, and received about 1.2 billion views in 2025.
Starmer gets singled out. 15,600 times, the prime minister was mentioned in the description or title of the video.
The channels were part of a worldwide trend to create fake propaganda on the platform, according to Reset Tech, the non-profit organization that conducted the study. It highlighted the widespread availability of low-cost AI tools that may be used to profit quickly from contentious issues.
One station, Britain News-night, discussed Starmer and Reeves being arrested. Another, TheUKPoliticalBrief, promoted marches on Westminster and videos on the "explosive truth" regarding immigration criminality.
The prime minister was "sacked live" and expelled from parliament, according to the UK NewsCore channel, which focused on Nigel Farage's removal of Starmer.
A dispute between the government and the royal family was the subject of strange, made-up stories in other films. Starmer was "melting down on live TV" as a result of the conflict, according to one channel, Gold Up!.
YouTube's checks eliminated some of the channels and content. But when the Guardian contacted the platform, all 150 were removed. According to Reset Tech, some channels produced hundreds or even tens of similar films without being removed from the platform.
Similar channels targeting other politicians or political problems were discovered to be active in German, French, Spanish, and Polish. It mapped 420 troublesome channels that were active throughout Europe. Some of the channels are run by Russian-speaking creators, according to Reset Tech.
It is thought that rather than foreign political players, channels targeting the UK were being driven by opportunistic entrepreneurs looking to profit from political divide over subjects like immigration. It did, however, state that public trust was still at stake due to their presence.
The content has caused concern inside Labour.
“The rise of fake news online is a serious threat to our democracy,”
a spokesperson said.
“The public will be rightly alarmed that democratically elected leaders and institutions are being undermined by bad faith foreign state actors and those seeking to profit from misinformation.
We’ve already seen attempts from overseas to influence fair elections and manipulate public opinion both here and abroad.
The government is stepping up its efforts to work with online platforms to tackle this scourge on free and fair democracy.
But it’s important that tech bosses take this threat seriously and live up to their obligations to remove this type of content wherever it’s found.”
Dylan Sparks, UK director of Reset Tech, called for YouTube to take swifter action.
“Malicious actors are permitted by YouTube to spread synthetic ‘news’ that disrupts political debate in the UK, while also earning revenue from it,”
he said.
“This AI-generated, low cost content spreads across the platform undetected, revealing clear weaknesses in YouTube’s monetisation and content moderation systems.
This specific network focuses on the prime minister and Labour government, but the same loopholes could be exploited by any hostile actor to push an agenda.
Because social media platforms profit from engagement, their business model creates an in-built tension between enforcing their own policies and reducing the spread of malicious content that drives revenue.
The rapid spread of AI has also introduced new risks to the online environment, and platforms need to move faster and invest more to address them.”
A YouTube spokesperson said:
“Spam and deceptive practices that try to take advantage of the YouTube community are not allowed on the platform, which is why the channels flagged by the Guardian have all been removed.
We enforce our policies consistently, regardless of political viewpoint expressed, or how the content is generated. Our teams work around the clock to monitor for harmful content, taking swift action as needed.”
Reset Tech and YouTube are currently collaborating on the findings. According to the platform, recommendations, search results, and the YouTube homepage all prominently display credible news material. For breaking its community norms, it has eliminated over 2.1 million channels.
An online advertising group has already been established by ministers to determine what steps might be taken to combat the monetization of harmful and deceptive information through advertising.
What rules govern political ads and AI content on social platforms in the UK?
UK political advertisements on social platforms must carry digital imprints under the choices Act 2022, relating the protagonist, funder, and responsible person for translucency. This applies to paid advertisements and certain organic content from parties, campaigners, or contenders, executed by the Electoral Commission with forfeitures up to£ 500 fornon-compliance.
No mask UK law requires telling AI use innon-ad political vids, though the Advertising norms Authority urges translucency if AI is prominent and deceiving. Platforms tone- regulate YouTube prohibits deceptive AI content violating community guidelines, while X and Facebook marker or demonetize synthetic media posing misinformation pitfalls.
The Electoral Commission pushes for bans on foreign digital spending and better spending data, but gaps persist for anonymous AI videos outside regulated ages. CAP C ASA canons pure political advertisements from full scrutiny, leaving reliance on platform temperance amid rising deepfakes.