Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, has built a massive following on YouTube as a tech reviewer known for his honest and transparent assessments of tech gadgets, cars, and other equipment.

His brand has been largely defined by his authenticity and willingness to criticize even the most popular products for their flaws – an uncommon trait among influencers who are compensated for endorsing products.

However, Brownlee’s latest videos and business ventures have earned him the criticism of even his most loyal followers.

Pricey Panels App Broke the Internet’s Golden Rule

Two months ago, Marques Brownlee launched a wallpaper app for smartphones called “Panels” that immediately caused outrage among his followers. Reviewers and commenters on the social media platform X roasted the influencer for trying to charge $50 per year for something that can be downloaded for free.

This practice goes against his long-standing principles, which made the whole situation even worse as critics categorized the move as a cash grab.

The app contained intrusive adverts that were pushed to users constantly unless they paid for the premium subscription package while its data collection policy was considered too aggressive.

Also read: 10+ Best Crypto Youtube Channels for 2024

“Pretty disappointed in this. Doesn’t have the polish / design I’d expect. Seems like something that’s been on the App Store already that you slapped your name on. Ads everywhere and it just all feels like a cash grab to me,” one follower commented on X.

MKBHD promised to fix these issues as concerns grew to the point that the situation made it to the headlines of multiple online tech magazines. You can check out his full response to the controversy below.

Despite the backlash, Panels managed to jump to the top of the ranks on the Apple App Store, specifically in the “Photos & Video” category. However, tech reviewers and industry observers highlighted that the cost to his reputation was much higher than the amount of money he may have made from the sale of subscriptions to early adopters.

Brownlee Exceeded the Speed Limit in Kids Zone in His Latest Video

Meanwhile, just days ago Brownlee was once again forced to make amends after releasing a video where he was clearly speeding in a children’s zone that had a clear limit of 35 miles per hour.

The video shows him reviewing a Lamborghini and was titled “How My Video Gear is Changing!” The video was sponsored by the DJI camera brand too and critics argued that it was little more than a very long ad.

At one point, the camera caught him accelerating and driving at 95 miles per house in a restricted area while he passed a sign that warned drivers to slow down.

The fact that he was focused on recording the footage for his channel made users even more concerned as the dangers of creating content while driving became apparent.

Facing a wave of backlash, Brownlee took to X (formerly Twitter) to address the situation. He acknowledged that his behavior was “absolutely inexcusable and dangerous,” and promised to learn from the experience.

MKBHD Apologized for His Reckless Behavior

In his apology, Marques Brownlee explained that he had cut the “unnecessary driving clip” from the video, recognizing that it added nothing to the content and was, in fact, a bad decision on his behalf.

He expressed remorse for his actions and vowed to be more mindful of the impact his content can have on his audience.

Despite these incidents, data from vidIQ shows that the number of people who have subscribed to his channel remains unchanged at 19.6 million. As it tends to happen, all of the headlines may have benefitted Brownlee as bad publicity still raises awareness about the existence of his content. Compared to most YouTube or TikTok controversies, this one seems to be rather mild.

However, the Panels incident has called into question Brownlee’s willingness to respect the core principles that have made him so popular on YouTube, which include a commitment to create transparent and genuine reviews that his fan base can rely on before purchasing certain products.

His reputation as a tech reviewer may have suffered some damages as a result of these two incidents but it does not seem that the situation is bad enough to inflict financial pain or cause a mass exodus of his fan base.

Some commenters have deemed the episode a “mere bump in the road” to MKBHD, especially as he was honest and truthful when he issued an apology for both the app’s excessive pricing and the reckless driving video.

Addressing Negative Feedback Quickly Reduced the Reputational Damage

The latest controversies surrounding Brownlee bring to light the challenges that influencers face as they are constantly being pressured to put out content to maintain their loyal fan bases engaged and earn the favor of algorithms.

Moreover, other influencers have faced similar backlash whenever they have attempted to monetize their large audience of followers by putting out products and applications.

One recent episode of a similar nature involving MrBeast – another massively popular influencer – and a kid meal called Lunchly prompted health experts to speak out as these celebrities are taking advantage of their huge influence over the youngest generations to push out questionable products.

Brownlee has responded to critics by promising to make changes to the Panels app. By actively listening to their feedback, he may have avoided a massive public relations crisis and this could help him regain fans’ trust quickly.