Odysee

Not to be confused with Odyssey.
Odysee
Odysee icon, an astronaut Odysee wordmark
Type of site
Online video platform
Founded2020; 6 years ago (2020)
HeadquartersLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Country of originUS
FounderJulian Chandra[1]
Key peopleJulian Chandra and Jeremy Kauffman
Revenue$10.7 million
URLwww.odysee.com
Current statusActive

Odysee is an American decentralized video hosting platform, built on the LBRY blockchain.[2][3][4] It positions itself as an alternative to mainstream services like YouTube, but with a focus on freedom of speech and decentralization.[5]

The platform enables users to upload, share, and monetize videos through cryptocurrency, while maintaining content persistence through a peer-to-peer network.[6][7][8]

History

Odysee was founded in 2020 by Julian Chandra.[8][1]

In June 2024, Odysee was acquired by Forward Research. The acquisition took place after Odysee's former parent company LBRY lost a lawsuit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in July 2023.[9][10]

Technology

Odysee is driven by blockchain, a decentralized protocol that allows digital content to be distributed and stored without a central authority. This blockchain network supports a peer-to-peer infrastructure, which allows users to upload and share videos. The metadata of uploaded content is stored on the blockchain, while the videos themselves are hosted across a distributed network of users, referred to as nodes.[11]

Arweave is a decentralized data storage network that uses blockchain technology to enable digital storage. Its native AR token pays for storage and incentivizes participants.[12] The Arweave network has been used to archive content in censorship-sensitive regions like Hong Kong and during conflicts such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[13][14]

Moderation

Odysee's content moderation is significantly less restrictive compared to mainstream platforms like YouTube.[15] Since its launch in September 2020, Odysee's specific moderation policies and decentralized structure have allowed hate speech and misinformation to be spread on the platform.[16] This has included far-right groups, conspiracy theorists, and individuals deplatformed or banned elsewhere.[8][17] Its moderation policy and philosophy has an explicitly broad interpretation of freedom of speech.[17]

In addition to facilitating hate speech, Odysee has also hosted disinformation, particularly around topics such as COVID-19, vaccines, and political conspiracy theories. The platform's decentralized nature makes it difficult for content to be effectively moderated or removed, allowing disinformation to spread without significant resistance.[8]

Odysee has faced geo-blocking restrictions in regions such as the European Union, where governments have raised concerns about content deemed harmful or disinforming.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Chandra, Julian. "Julian Chandra — Web3 Media CEO & Founder, Odysee". Julian Chandra.
  2. ^ Carless, Will. "It looks like a regular video-streaming site. It's fundraising for white supremacists, report says". USA TODAY.
  3. ^ "A website that provides a platform for neo-Nazis got its seed funding from Boston elites". GBH. September 30, 2024.
  4. ^ "Blockchain-based Odysee keeps your social media content online". ZDNET.
  5. ^ Ha, Anthony (2020-12-07). "Odysee aims to build a more independent video platform". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  6. ^ Stark, John (April 13, 2021). "The Best YouTube Alternative that Pays! Odysee.com Review".
  7. ^ "Odysee". Odysee.
  8. ^ a b c d Wilson, Jason (16 July 2023). "Extremist-friendly tech company closes after legal fine". theguardian.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  9. ^ Wilson, Jason (2023-07-16). "Extremist-friendly tech company closes after legal fine". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  10. ^ "SEC vs LBRY Summary Judgement Ruling (We Lost)". Odysee. 7 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Digital Threat Report: Odysee". Southern Poverty Law Center. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  12. ^ "Arweave Lightpaper" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-11-11.
  13. ^ "Hong Kong's Apple Daily to live on in blockchain, free of censors". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
  14. ^ "Crypto Network Promises Hack-Proof History of Ukraine Attack". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-18. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
  15. ^ "People-first video platform Odysee Launches out of Beta, Enabling Creators to Reclaim Power and Monetization". www.prweb.com.
  16. ^ P, Nelly (15 December 2022). "The maze of content moderation on Odysee". CheckFirst. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024.
  17. ^ a b "On Odysee: The Role of Blockchain Technology for Monetisation in the Far-Right Online Milieu". ISD. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  18. ^ "Odysee: list of geo-blocking requests shows the EU and EU Member States are far from doing enough to enforce the law". EU DisinfoLab. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysee