[ April 19, 2024 ]
New moderators hired by YouTube who were supposed to remove fake news from the social media site instead took down videos from conservative voices who were speaking about gun control.
The Google division had announced a few months ago it was going to hire an additional 10,000 people as moderators.
But these moderators stepped into outright censorship territory when they responded to the Parkland, Florida, shooting of 17 school students and staffers by taking down videos that suggested cooler head approaches to gun control, and that spoke of constitutional rights.
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From Bloomberg:
YouTube’s new moderators, brought in to spot fake, misleading and extreme videos, stumbled in one of their first major tests, mistakenly removing some clips and channels in the midst of a nationwide debate on gun control.
The Google division said in December it would assign more than 10,000 people to moderate content after a year of scandals over fake and inappropriate content on the world’s largest video site.
In the wake of the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, some YouTube moderators mistakenly removed several videos and some channels from right-wing, pro-gun video producers and outlets.
Some YouTube channels recently complained about their accounts being pulled entirely. On Wednesday, the Outline highlighted accounts, including Titus Frost, that were banned from the video site. Frost tweeted on Wednesday that a survivor of the shooting, David Hogg, is an actor. Jerome Corsi of right-wing conspiracy website Infowars said on Tuesday that YouTube had taken down one of his videos and disabled his live stream.
Shutting entire channels would have marked a sweeping policy change for YouTube, which typically only removes channels in extreme circumstances and focuses most disciplinary action on specific videos. But YouTube said some content was taken down by mistake. The site didn’t address specific cases and it’s unclear if it meant to take action on the accounts of Frost and Corsi.
“As we work to hire rapidly and ramp up our policy enforcement teams throughout 2018, newer members may misapply some of our policies resulting in mistaken removals,” a YouTube spokeswoman wrote in an email. “We’re continuing to enforce our existing policies regarding harmful and dangerous content, they have not changed. We’ll reinstate any videos that were removed in error.”
The misstep pulls YouTube, Google and parent Alphabet Inc. deeper into a toxic political fights over gun control, fake and extreme content, and whether internet companies should be responsible for what third parties post on their services. The episode also shows how the huge video site continues to struggle with policing the service and how difficult it is to spot troubling content and decide whether the material should be taken down.
Gun reform calls since the shooting have sparked a rash of conspiracy theories on the web about the student activists. YouTube was criticized last week after promoting a video with a title that suggested Hogg, the teen survivor of the Florida school shooting, was a paid actor. The clip contained footage from an authoritative news source, leading YouTube’s software-based screening system to misclassify it. After YouTube was alerted to the video, it was pulled.
In the wake of the Florida shooting, Google and other internet companies are facing external pressure to remove the National Rifle Association’s NRA TV channel from their video streaming services. To date, YouTube and other services haven’t pulled the NRA’s official channel.
YouTube’s official policy says that “harmful or dangerous” and “hateful” content can violate its guidelines. If video creators break the rules three times within three months, YouTube terminates the account.
Alex Jones, who runs Infowars and has pushed conspiracy theories about school shootings, is the most outspoken self-proclaimed victim of YouTube. He said this week that YouTube told him his account faces two strikes. On Tuesday, an Infowars article stated that Google was “purging conservative media,” claiming that “CNN and other news outlets” were lobbying Google to terminate the Infowars channel.
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62 Comments
6 years ago
Alex Jones is right some of the time, and wrong some of the time–e.g., he claims that 9/11 was a “false flag” operation.
6 years ago
They are either funded(muslims holding stake in their company) or paid Millions to shill for Islam and run down/smear those who oppose Islam.
And conservatives don’t want to fund the alternative media, nor unite to pursue the issue politically or legally then act surprised their First amendment is not getting up and fighting for them !
6 years ago
There is only one thing happening here and it has nothing to do with school shootings. The Left is using everyones concern for their children’s safety as a convenient specious tool to come after law-abiding gun owners. They are going to fail, badly but the consequences of the average Amertican’s ignorance of this situation are going to be huge!
6 years ago
Oh, there was nothing “mistaken” in their activity. They received marching orders and they follow. The fish rots always from the head, not from the tail. “Moderators”: new doublespeak for censors.
6 years ago
Reply to
Voytek Gagalka
Agree. Like facebook , twitter, even Google have joined Islamofascist gang http://tinyurl.com/lgp28rs
To censor conservative and Anti-jihadi news to push the islamisation agenda of the Left/Liberal/jihadis funded by saudi/qataris
D
6 years ago
Reply to
Voytek Gagalka
Google and its children have declared war on American values. They can really do a lot of damage with their censorship. And as Daniel Greenfield pointed out,it is censorship and tyranny. Greenfield compared it to the work of the Gastapo and the may civilian informants who helped the Gestapo;l e.g., a janitor found the White Rose group passing leaflets in Germany criticizing Hitler and the German treatment of the Jews. Thanks to this civilian informant, Sophie Scholl of the White Rose and her companions were beheaded. We have the same situation today.
6 years ago
Reply to
Daniel Conor
Sure. But if the voices of opposition are silenced, then their is no opposition
6 years ago
Reply to
Daniel Conor
actually. no. you don’t have the freedom not to use it. and it’s odd that you would choose the word freedom in the context of this filthy fascist blob that is engulfing the entire world. now some folks don’t mind being engulfed. but enough of freudian analysis. you stand your ground and keep those capital letters coming.
6 years ago
Reply to
JGray1
Back in the day … before word processors … all briefs, documents, prayers to the court, etc., had to be on 8.5 x 14 “legal sized” paper … and they were prepared on standard typewriters, the use of all upper case letters was common. The first instance of such, was always followed with “(Special emphasis added)”. Then, through the course of the remainder, it (emphasis) was to be understood. Today, bold font or italicized font are typically used. Therefore, I have no problems with someone putting a word or phrase all in upper case. It’s the “comments” that are ALL (special emphasis added) in upper case that … well, just be nice and inform them that the “caps lock” key is located on the left side of an ASCII keyboard.
6 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohammedan
Being one of the “age challenged” (well over sixty), I find it difficult to read a comment, that is all upper case. However, I simply skip over them .. no complaint. I was responding to JGray1, not making a statement against those incapable of typing out a proper sentence. Their keyboard, their poor comments. No skin off of my nose.
6 years ago
Reply to
Achmed Mohammedan
I happen to belong to the “wrinkle crowd” , and I’m also going blind, but still have enough where-with-all to know not to use ALL caps. Sure, I’ve had to increase the size of the print….also had to buy a kindle so I can still read books, but being in the wrinkle crowd doesn’t mean we have to all be stupid. Also, I won’t read a comment that is all in caps.
6 years ago
Reply to
Underzog
Daniel Greenfield also pointed out that the publicity begets more of the same whether it is censorship, murders or suicide. Not the NRA, Not the President, but the MEDIA.
D
6 years ago
Reply to
Underzog
They have already started Net Censorship well before Donald J. Trump won the election
6 years ago
Reply to
Underzog
ridiculous and ignorant remark. President Trump is not censoring anything or anyone. the win, is the American people.
D
6 years ago
Reply to
JGray1
Read the link pal,so you won’t make ridiculous statements. The brilliant Daniel Greenfield is not comparing Trumpto Hitler — instead, he is comparing the liTrummp’s election as their Reichstag fire.b/commies to the Nazis in how they profited from the Reichstag fire. Thelib/commies are using
D
6 years ago
Reply to
JGray1
They’ve gone utterly beserk. Even our heroine’s kids are victims of this foam-at-the-mouth hysteria.
6 years ago
Reply to
Voytek Gagalka
Would love the “creators/owner” of all the social media go broke – big time….Oh, I know it won’t happen,, but it would be nice to see all the conservatives leave those sites….and I can still dream.
6 years ago
Oops it was just a mistake, now there’s a backlash and all.
Ya have to wonder how many of those 10,000 were registered Democrats. I’d hazard a guess the number is at or close to 100%…
6 years ago
Oh yeah, another “mistake” like all the other “mistakes” is purely by coincidence happens to be sites that do not serve liberal socialist cool aid. Really people, there are other sites, why are you banging your heads on a prick wall?
6 years ago
So youtub is giving jobs to all those snowflakes so they can work from their mother’s basement. No wonder the unemployment rate is down.
6 years ago
Reply to
NotTheMama
That is probably the ‘earn $97 per hour’ google adds that pop up on this ans other forums
6 years ago
I will reiterate that which others are posting; a mistake, the ‘Moderators’ deem us, the right-of-center, as gullible dullards. We are not the leftist, progressives who readily swallow the swill that devotee leftists inhale without a bleat. The social media is PRAVDA hybrid. Truth, the First Amendment is alien to this perfidious, bigoted ilk; the SM’s exceptions, the pro-Islam, the Marxist diktat and bigoted, anti-Semitic vitriol spewed by leftist progressive toadies
6 years ago
They pulled each and every one of my favorite channels. Most moved over on Migration Day to Bitchute and Dtube. So ISIS videos and weird cartoon porn for kids is fine. Ask what day the Vegas shooter CHECKED IN – harssment. Eff Censortube. No more
6 years ago
Off topic, I know, but are any articles going to be forthcoming about Trump’s betrayal and newfound disdain for The Second Amendment and due process? I voted for Trump and still think (I think) he is better that Hitlary would have been, but his latest behavior is more than a little disturbing to me.
6 years ago
Reply to
CorruptionInColumbia
I hope it he tossed out that comment to expose those who agreed with it and not because he would do it. Get the dems on tape supporting confiscation by ignoring due process.
6 years ago
It’s only a ‘mistake’ because they got caught.
6 years ago
Reply to
rambler
No, that is not a mistake either
The mistake is that we handed the internet to google, facebook, twitter, and all those lefturd organizations
6 years ago
Reply to
michaelofsydney
Very true. I forgot about that.
We know where the U.N. stands on globalism.
6 years ago
There is a crying need for replacements for Face Book and You Tube that support the 1st Amendment.
Suggestions?
6 years ago
Reply to
Mahou Shoujo
Thanks, Magic Girl. Will Czech them out.
How’s the grand daughter?
6 years ago
6 years ago
They LIBERAL social media IS PURGING TRUMP, CONSERVATIVE VIEWS and NEWS! Where is Jeff Sessions?
It is on purpose. Social media has been a good conduit for Trump and others to circumvent the LIBERAL media lies. So this must be muzzled. It is intentionally removing this and if a ERROR is made and they can’t come up with a legitimate reason to ban it, they will be pleased with at least keeping it from people.
6 years ago
6 years ago
YouTube, Twitter, Google and facebook and NBC News support Islam and want to brainwash us back to the year 600 to start Islamic Sex Slavery for all women starting with 5 year old girls. Someone need to send this to Homeland Security, the FBI and any one else who can help destory them. oh I forgot that is what I do. But it would help if you do it as well.
6 years ago
I object to the word “mistakenly”. That is pure bovine excrement.
6 years ago
Lets not forget Hussein Obama gifted the internet to the UN and it does seem only a matter of time before the real crackdown on information begins.
6 years ago
The coup is very active with no letting up in sight.
Make no mistake about that. They want Trump OUT and they want to redo our outdated Constitution and Bill of Rights. I’ve already read how neither document is current for today. Censorship is a big part of that.
6 years ago
That panel of moderators of we of the great unwashed lacks all credibility since SPLC has a finger in the pie. What, when it comes to dangerous groups it takes one to know one?
6 years ago
I have been honored by being thrown off facebook for thirty days, twice. each time i am released from facebook jail and post anything there is a blue line that follows my posts regardless of how innocent the content. it is creepy and fascist and sickening. we’re allowing it. i don’t know if i’ll even go back on it again. i think a lot of people are really sick of it. twitter too. i did notice that even the posts of those who remain are carefully worded and softened so as to comply with their crazy rules. these rules are nothing more than one person reporting to them something they don’t like and of course that would be a troll mole. this is not good. this has to be regulated in some way and they must be made accountable for their actions in censorship. they are a quasi governmental organization, both facebook and twitter, because they’re communication giants like at&t or essential services like con ed of new york and they were broken up and regulated.
6 years ago
“Mistakenly” My Ass!!!!!! This is Just Another Purge of Conservatives like Twitter was doing last week!!!!! google, F_ck book and youtube All Need to be Sued for this Bullsh_t!!!!!! This Is Supposed to be the United States of America and NOT North F_cking Korea!!!!!
6 years ago
I think we need to “help” the hypocrites at Google by revealing the violent actions and really hateful speech from the Left and from terrorist; the content they do allow. Perhaps Alex Jones would make a little space on his website to receive this content. He is at the top of their list to try to remove from public discourse. Democrats, globalists, and RINO’s want to remove all conservative content and truth telling to prepare for massive voter manipulation before the 2018 elections.
6 years ago
They’re defrauding many channels of revenue by claiming videos to be “not sponsor-friendly”, demonetizing the channels, then running ads on them anyway. The channels don’t get paid and unless a viewer draws attention to the ads, the channel owners (who are probably not seeing the ads when viewing their own videos) would not know this is happening. Dave Hodges of The Common Sense Show had this happen to his channel.
Somebody is missing a golden opportunity here by not starting another video venue to compete with and eventually replace this Deep State mouthpiece.
6 years ago
It’s Us and them and YouTube google Facebook Twitter etc are definitely Them!
6 years ago
mistakenly my ass. grow a pair you socialist panty waste.
6 years ago
“the world’s largest video site.”
should NOT be the case…plenty of competition, but no takers..
6 years ago
I wonder what Jerome Corsi would have to say about this…
I bet the Queer Kid Stuff channel remains unaffected.
6 years ago
Let’s see, there’s another news article today about how the hard leftist SPLC is helping Youtube police their site. Gosh, do you think there could be a connection? Mistake, my foot. Meet the new tyrants.
6 years ago
Infowars is conservative? Alex Jones has the same first amendment rights as the rest of us, but Google is a privately owned company and can censor as it wishes. I’ve canceled FB, looks like I’ll be shutting down my YT account, too.
D
6 years ago
Suckerberg controls the information to some 2 billions people around the world. He needs to be pulled up short. Real fast. If not we are looking at Biblical stuff.
