YouTube axes more than 400 channels over child exploitation controversy
YouTube is taking steps to clear out disturbing content.
Over the past three days, YouTube has disabled comments on tens of millions of videos and terminated over 400 channels for comments they left on videos, and reported illegal comments to law enforcement, the video platform told creator Philip DeFranco on Wednesday. A YouTube spokesperson has confirmed the numbers in an email statement.
UPDATE: @YouTube @YTCreators left a comment and provided an update on what they’ve done to combat horrible people on the site in the last 48 hours.
— Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) February 21, 2019
TLDR: Disabled comments on tens of millions of videos. Terminated over 400 channels. Reported illegal comments to law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/zFHFfkX9FD
This comes after DeFranco posted a video talking about YouTube's "predator problem."
YouTube has come under fire for allowing disturbing content. Disney, Epic Games and Nestle pulled ad spending from YouTube this week after blogger Matt Watson showed how comments on the platform were being used by a "soft-core pedophilia ring" to share child exploitation videos.
"Any content — including comments — that endangers minors is abhorrent and we have clear policies prohibiting this on YouTube. We took immediate action by deleting accounts and channels, reporting illegal activity to authorities and disabling comments on tens of millions of videos that include minors," said the YouTube spokesperson. "There's more to be done, and we continue to work to improve and catch abuse more quickly."
This article originally appeared on CNET.