Why do some videos on Socialcam appear to be embedded YouTube videos?

I’m looking for an answer to this question that I posed on Quora:

Why do some videos on Socialcam appear to be embedded YouTube videos?

Were these videos taken with the Socialcam iPhone App? How does a user add a YouTube video to Socialcam? Here is an example of what I am talking about: http://socialcam.com/v/N7ZU8LC6 - If you click on the user’s name who uploaded it, you will not see it in his list of uploaded videos.

Socialcam is getting most of their growth from automatically defaulting users’ settings to display all their actions in their Facebook newsfeed (whether they watched a video, liked a video, or commented on a video). I’ve noticed that most of these videos weren’t uploaded using the Socialcam mobile app, however. Most of them are YouTube videos that are embedded on the Socialcam site. I haven’t been able to figure out how to add these myself, so I am wondering if Socialcam is just importing a bunch of YouTube videos and giving them more sensational titles to drive growth. Which would seem shady. Socialcam also has a habit of turning “Social On” even after I’ve turned it off repeatedly. (Update 5/14/12: GigaOm’s Om Malik explains that he experiences the same problem with social sharing automatically getting turned back on. Shady.)

Update 5/9/2012: I have reached out to Socialcam’s community manager, @TheRoxie on Twitter. This convo is here. So far no definitive answer although she is responding. Here is what she has told me so far:

@loganabbott It’s an experiment

— The Roxie (@TheRoxie) May 9, 2012

@loganabbott No, a user cant upload a video from YouTube…. Unless they stole it, converted it to MP4 and uploaded from phone

— The Roxie (@TheRoxie) May 9, 2012

@TheRoxie So how are these videos getting on socialcam? There’s a username above each one.

— Logan Abbott (@loganabbott) May 9, 2012

@TheRoxie so @SocialcamApp is just importing thousands of youtube vids to their site & saying “recorded w socialcam to drive growth? shady

— Logan Abbott (@loganabbott) May 10, 2012

@loganabbott no, I can’t

— The Roxie (@TheRoxie) May 10, 2012

@TheRoxie Well the description under each video on facebook says “recorded with socialcam” even though its an old YouTube video. Thats seedy

— Logan Abbott (@loganabbott) May 10, 2012

@TheRoxie it’s not an opinion its a fact. socialcam shouldn’t write “video recorded with socialcam” if its an old youtube video. thats lying

— Logan Abbott (@loganabbott) May 10, 2012

I have emailed sc@socialcam.com per Roxie’s suggestion. I have yet to hear back yet.

Update 5/10/2012: TheNextWeb just did a story on these Socialcam’s viral tactics and they link to my Quora question as well.

Update 5/14/2012: The description given when the app posts to people’s newsfeed now no longer says “Video taken recorded with Socialcam.” Now it says “Video popular on YouTube.” They also now make it more clear that it is a YouTube video by putting a “Powered by YouTube” icon above the videos. Socialcam still has a nasty habit of turning my auto social sharing back to “ON” even after I’ve turned it off multiple times. See screenshots below.

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