About the Project
Why OdyseeWatchdog Exists
This project was born from a simple observation: Odysee's moderation doesn't work. Content that violates their own rules — and often the law — remains accessible, monetized, and promoted.
Document
Systematically catalog content that violates Odysee's Community Guidelines and/or applicable laws, preserving evidence for accountability.
Inform
Raise public awareness about the gap between Odysee's stated policies and their actual enforcement — or lack thereof.
Empower
Provide clear, actionable guidance for reporting illegal content to law enforcement and relevant authorities worldwide.
The Problem
Odysee launched in September 2020 as a blockchain-based "free speech" alternative to YouTube, built on the LBRY protocol founded in 2015 by CEO Jeremy Kauffman. The platform quickly became a refuge for content creators deplatformed from mainstream services — many of them for promoting terrorism, neo-Nazi ideology, and targeted harassment. GNET researcher Eviane Leidig formally named it "The New YouTube for the Far-Right" in a 2021 research paper.
Odysee's own Community Guidelines explicitly prohibit this content. But in May 2021, The Guardian obtained a leaked email from LBRY VP Julian Chandra that stated "just being a white nationalist or nazi isn't grounds for removal" — accidentally sent to the very user who had complained about neo-Nazi content. This revealed the true moderation philosophy: the rules exist on paper but are deliberately unenforced.
The SPLC's Data Lab analyzed 165 extremist channels hosting 50,459 videos over 28 months, finding $336,000 in direct payments to hate groups through Odysee's Hyperchat tipping system. The platform earns a 5% fee on every transaction — meaning Odysee directly profited approximately $16,800 from extremist content alone.
The blockchain component makes this especially dangerous. Content published to LBRY is distributed across decentralized nodes globally. Even if Odysee removes a video from their website, the data persists on-chain. CEO Kauffman himself promoted LBRY as "the most censorship-resistant system to ever exist for the purposes of publishing digital content."
Timeline of Documented Failures
Odysee launches as YouTube alternative, attracting deplatformed creators
GNET publishes "Odysee: The New YouTube for the Far-Right" identifying mass migration of extremist creators
SEC sues LBRY for selling unregistered securities (LBC tokens) — $44M fine
The Guardian obtains leaked LBRY VP email: "just being a nazi isn't grounds for removal." Scores of extremist videos documented
DFRLab reveals Odysee hired Bitwave developer — Christchurch shooting video found on Bitwave servers
CheckFirst's Operation CoLBRY exposes moderation maze: 5 entities blurring responsibility. EU sent only 2 enforcement requests
EU DisinfoLab obtains 3,000+ geo-blocking list — almost entirely Nazism, antisemitism, terrorism, and ISIS content
Miami New Times: Neo-Nazi Jon Minadeo earning $7,000+/month on Odysee. Platform provides no response to journalists
SPLC: Charlottesville fugitive Azzmador earning $33,023 while evading law enforcement, owes $500K from civil judgment
LBRY loses SEC lawsuit for selling unregistered securities. Initial $44M fine reduced to $111K due to insolvency
Odysee announces its "future in jeopardy." Receives bailout from Arweave blockchain project
LBRY placed in receivership — all executives, employees, and board members resign. Assets used to satisfy debts
SPLC Digital Threat Report: 165 channels, 50,459 videos, $336K to extremists. Top earner: $65,362
Forward Research (Arweave incubator) acquires Odysee despite SPLC report. CEO dismisses concerns: "healthy democracy requires free speech"
GBH News traces Odysee's $300K seed funding to Boston VC firm Pillar — mainstream money behind extremist platform
MBFC rates Odysee "Low Credibility" conspiracy-pseudoscience. GNET 2025 follow-up scrapes 2,500+ extremist posts on Odysee
Named Extremists Profiting on Odysee
These are not anonymous accounts. They are identified extremists, many with criminal records, profiting openly on Odysee while the platform collects its 5% cut:
"Blackpilled" (Devon Stack)
$65,362 in tips. Author of "Day of the Rope," a neo-fascist novel. Maintains 200K-follower YouTube channel simultaneously.
"Uncle Sven" (Jesse Dunstan)
$33,676 in tips. One donor gave $22,300 in a single contribution. Affiliated with The Right Stuff and National Justice Party.
Robert "Azzmador" Ray
$33,023 while a wanted fugitive. Felony charges from Charlottesville. 9 prior convictions. Owes $500K civil judgment.
Jon Minadeo ("Handsome Truth")
$7,000+/month. Founder of Goyim Defense League. 350+ episodes of antisemitic content. Banned from all major payment platforms except Odysee.
David Duke
Former Grand Wizard of the KKK. Regularly posts content on Odysee with no restrictions.
Nordic Resistance Movement
Neo-Nazi organization designated as terrorist by some countries. Multiple monetized Odysee channels including English-language propaganda.
Personal Harassment Cases
Beyond the documented extremist ecosystem, Odysee is actively used for targeted harassment campaigns against individuals. The platform's blockchain permanence makes this uniquely harmful — victims cannot get content removed even after successful reports:
- Doxxing videos that remain live months after being reported — blockchain copies persist even after frontend removal
- Coordinated harassment campaigns organized through Odysee channels with monetized livestreams
- Death threats delivered via video content that Odysee refuses to remove despite explicit Community Guidelines violations
- Stalking and surveillance content targeting specific individuals, monetized through LBC tips
- Swatting coordination shared openly on the platform
When victims report this content through Odysee's official channels, they frequently receive no response — the same pattern documented by the SPLC, The Guardian, Miami New Times, and every other organization that has investigated the platform. As the leaked Julian Chandra email revealed, non-enforcement is not a bug — it is the policy.
Our Approach
OdyseeWatchdog is a transparency and accountability project. We operate within the following principles:
Public Information Only
We only reference content that is publicly accessible on Odysee. We do not host, mirror, or redistribute any content.
Evidence-Based
Every flagged item is documented with its public URL, relevant guideline violation, and applicable legal framework.
Actionable
We don't just document problems — we provide clear, step-by-step guidance for reporting to the appropriate authorities.
Independent
This project is not affiliated with Odysee, LBRY, or any other platform. We have no financial relationship with any party.
Legal Disclaimer
This site only highlights publicly available content that violates Odysee's own Community Guidelines and/or applicable laws. We do not host, embed, or redistribute any Odysee content. All referenced material is linked in its original, publicly accessible location for accountability and reporting purposes only.