YouTube moderators 'approved' Logan Paul's dead body video

YouTube
YouTube has not confirmed that its moderators approved the video Credit: Reuters

YouTube’s moderators watched and approved the video of an apparent suicide victim posted by star blogger Logan Paul, according to volunteers who police the site, raising further questions about its ability to censor disturbing content.

Members of YouTube’s "trusted flagger" team, a group of volunteers tasked with reporting unsavoury material, said the video was flagged to YouTube, but that the moderator who reviewed it allowed it to stay online.

The video was removed by Mr Paul himself on Tuesday morning after a huge outcry at the clip, which was online for 24 hours and viewed over 6 million times. The 22-year-old, who is one of YouTube’s biggest stars apologised after posting the video, which appeared to show a dead body in Japan’s Aokigahara forest.

YouTube has since confirmed that the video violates its rules, but it has refused to comment on whether the video was reviewed by a moderator. While the site has taken steps in recent months to take down videos automatically if they violate the site’s rules, it still relies on an army of moderators to vet videos when they are reported by users.

Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s chief executive, recently announced that it would hire 10,000 staff to police the site, stepping up its war against violent and disturbing content.

However, if the video was reviewed but not removed, it suggests that YouTube’s moderators are failing to enforce the website’s rules, even when videos are escalated to moderators. The clip was also not given any age restrictions that would have blocked it from being viewed by children.

The video has since been taken down when other users have attempted to upload it, leading some to suggest that Mr Paul, as one of YouTube’s most famous characters, received special privileges.

Unlike typical users, trusted flaggers have the ability to see when videos that they report are reviewed by moderators. One trusted flagger who reported the video said they had received confirmation that the video was checked but not taken down. Another said the video had been reported and manually reviewed but allowed to stay online.

Mr Paul, who is said to earn around £1 million a month from his videos, has since posted an apology video on YouTube. "I've made a severe and continuous lapse of my judgment and I don't expect to be forgiven, I'm simply here to apologise," he said.

A YouTube spokesman said: "Our hearts go out to the family of the person featured in the video. YouTube prohibits violent or gory content posted in a shocking, sensational or disrespectful manner.

"If a video is graphic, it can only remain on the site when supported by appropriate educational or documentary information and in some cases it will be age-gated. We partner with safety groups such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to provide educational resources that are incorporated in our YouTube Safety Center."

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