That is true (although Youtube actually does pay creators reasonably well), They pay a tiny, tiny fraction of creators that create most of the economic value.

That is true (although Youtube actually does pay creators reasonably well), They pay a tiny, tiny fraction of creators that create most of the economic value. But by count the vast majority of uploaders do not get paid anything, because they produce nothing of economic value, or maybe even negative value. They also have no BATNA (no other site willing to pay them more for the worthless content they generate). I say this as an occasional uploader to YouTube of videos that get in the low thousands of views. My content likely has negative value to YouTube, but they host it because low friction is part of how they attract creators who someday grow big. but I think you can make the case that they ought to . . . You're welcome to. Just imagine if ... users could easily collectively bargain ... If they could, we'd live in a different world. I don't know what to take away from that. It's not the world we live in. Everyone has different standards for "ought," but this argument doesn't meet mine.