YouTube wiped out millions of music videos in Dec. 2012 after auditors found views had been grossly exaggerated. After an internal audit, there was speculation of foul play all over, spilling into Sony Music, Universal Music, and Google — all joint-venture owners of VEVO. In effect, on Jan. 2013, Lady Gaga was stripped of 156 million YouTube views from her VEVO Channel and the removal appeared to be part of a broad clean up of bot generated views at YouTube.
